Regular Film Screening
Each month we organise a film screening carefully selected from different parts of the world to understand and educate ourselves on the modern film world.
Organising workshops and seminars on film
Publish film magazine “Fade In”
Organise Film session/Festival
Films screened at the festival and carefully chosen and are particularly appropriate for families to enjoy, and provide a safe environment to come out and enjoy such cultural opportunities. Films we screened are specially managed through intensive networking and are not available otherwise like in cinema, online or DVD. We are targeting audiences who usually do not visit the cinema at all or very rarely. They are included Asian families, Asian Women and Young Adults. Every year we select the opening movie very carefully and make sure it is appropriate for all viewers including the group mentioned above. All films we screened at the festival have English sub-title.
1) A key target group of the festival is the local population that otherwise would have no access to such films. A number of films screened are particularly appropriate for families to enjoy together, and the festival venues provide a safe environment for someone to come out and enjoy such cultural opportunities. The festival also aims to attract all audiences interested in discovering foreign films and to market the festival to them.
2) One of our aims is to attract family audiences particularly Bangladeshi including women who usually never visit a cinema barring from social and religious reasons. Content of normal movies like hugging, and kissing which they feel unsuitable to watch with family. The films in their native language will attract them.
3) Films from different languages will also attract audiences from the spoken language community in London.
Film workshop and filmmaking courses
Every year we organise film making training courses which include theory and practical film making process. This course usually lasted about 16 weeks with 3 hours of sessions and three sessions each week. Through these training courses local young adults, and unemployed people learn about all aspects of filmmaking. At the end of the course, all participants make a short film of their own and gain valuable experience in individual filmmaking skills. These skills help them to get self-confinement to start work on their own.
This workshop will provide hands-on practical training on the techniques and appreciation of film production, including creative writing (script writing). Children will learn the basic theory of filmmaking and will write their own script to make a short film as part of the project.
At the end of the project, all films will be screened inviting children, parents and guests and every participant will receive certificates and a copy of their film.
The content of each film will be planned, created and implemented by workshop participants and entirely composed of young people, which is covering educational and entertainment needs to fit the targeted age groups.
Participating children who are going to benefit from this project are mainly from ethnic minority backgrounds. Most of the participant’s first language is not English. The family’s social values and circumstances often make them isolated and not uncomfortable participating in regular mainstream activities. Their needs are different than other local children given their ethnicity and cultural background. London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where the project will take place is one of the most deprived boroughs in the UK. Most of the children who will benefit are also from poor and disadvantaged families in the area. Household annual income and the educational level are lower than the national average. Often parents are unable to take them to the cinema. Almost 50% of those children never visited the cinema or do not go to the cinema regularly.
Practical film production
We have produced the following films through training
Towards the Root (1996), Uttal Dingulo (2006), Bangladesh’71 (2007), Sub-let (2009), Ferry (2011), Before Marriage (2011), Tale of Fire & Water (2011), Remote Control (2012)
Women’s Film Conference
To involve them more actively, we are also planning to have a daylong workshop for women only to attract women to such activities. During this workshop, they will have opportunities to talk openly in a women-only environment with others including professionals. To encourage women to participate more closely, we will announce a best women director who will be selected by the workshop participants women only. The workshop also will lead to help women with professional development which is available all year round through Rainbow Film Society.
