Thanks and Praises

We’ve survived our back to back mini marathon of film festivals and are now making the final preparations for our BBC tour of the country to shoot the ‘Reel History’ show featuring Melvyn Bragg, and the vintage mobile cinema of course.

Before this whirlwind takes us away we’d like to say a massive thank you to both Flatpack and Borderlines film festivals, each of which proved very kind and gracious hosts and are shining examples of how to keep the film viewing experience dynamic and very much alive.

V.M.C.

Flatpack & Borderlines Film Festivals

Latest News

Following on from the hugely successful North Devon Movie Bus project, The Vintage Mobile Cinema has travelled upcountry for a week or so. For the next seven days, we’re putting on a host of delights in Birmingham and Herefordshire thanks to the Flatpack Festival and Borderlines Film Festival.

Flatpack Festival

Flatpack Festival

From 23rd – 27th March, something special is happening in Birmingham. This isn’t just an event about film (although it most certainly does feature some remarkable celluloid gems), it’s a five day celebration that combines our cinematic heritage with the best of new talent, from animations to documentaries to live performances and installations. We’re going to be screening a whole range of archive films with a sprinkling of moden delights – see below for the full schedule. For more information on the rest of the programme (far too much to tell you about here!) see the Flatpack Festival website.

Borderlines Film Festival

Borderlines Film Festival

Incredibly, in the space of the two short weeks between 25th March and 10th April, Borderlines will be visiting 37 different locations in Herefordshire, Shropshire and the West Marches. As you can imagine, this sort of thing is right up our street. The entertainment ranges from Jo Brand’s Desert Island Films to film-making workshops to screenings of some of the best films of recent years in a dizzying array of venues. See the Borderlines website for more information about their vibrant festival programme; as for us, we’ll be out there screening archive films of Herefordshire and beyond -  see below for more details.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, March 24th, Handsworth Library

As part of Flatpack Festival, we’re offering these FREE screenings of some rarely seen work. Here’s the full programme for the day:

  • 12:15 Handsworth on Film (25min) – A compilation of archival footage from Handsworth put together by the Media Archive of Central England (MACE).
  • 12:50 Knit Flicks (20min) – A selection of shorts about knitting and craftwork, including the delightful film, Spin, Spun, Span by Emily Howells & Anne Wilkins.
  • 13:20 Handsworth on Film (25min) – A compilation of archival footage from Handsworth put together by the Media Archive of Central England (MACE).
  • 14:00 Breathing Space (with introduction from Catherine O’Flynn) (20min) – A 60s film about the redevelopment of Birmingham’s parks introduced by writer Catherine O’Flynn.
  • 15:30 Knit Flicks (20min) – A selection of shorts about knitting and craftwork, including the delightful film, Spin, Spun, Span by Emily Howells & Anne Wilkins.
  • 16:00 Colour Box 1 Extract (20min) – A programme of animated particularly suitable for young ones with all kinds of creatures to be found!
  • 16:35 Colour Box 2 Extract (20min) – More animated shorts from all over the place, this time for slightly older viewers.

Saturday, March 26th, Birmingham Markets, St Martins Church, Bull Ring, Birmingham, B5 5BB.

The Flatpack adventure continues with this fun packed programme – again, all screenings are free:

  • 10:00 The Bull Ring Shopping Centre (20min) -  A documentary championing the Bull Ring centre from the 60s.
  • 10:35 Birmingham of Yesterday (20min) – Produced by the Birmingham Photographic Society, this silent short film takes a look around the city in the 1930s and includes some amazing footage of various Birmingham landmarks, including the Town Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and Centenary Square.
  • 11:10 Spaghetti Kong (12min) – In May 1972 Birmingham welcomed the King Kong statue and Spaghetti Junction. One a cultural icon for the 1970s and the other a forgotten memory. Made by the Media Archive of Central England (MACE).
  • 11:35 Birmingham Film (20min) – Birmingham in the 1930s. Fascinating footage.
  • 12:10 The Pitcher (25min) – A documentary about Birmingham’s answer to Delboy. Directed by BAFTA-award winning director, Michael Baig-Clifford. Please note this is only suitable for people aged 12 and over.
  • 12:45 Bull Ring Tales (10min) -  Appropriately named, tales from the Bull Ring.
  • 13:10 The Bull Ring Shopping Centre (20min) – see above
  • 14:20 Spaghetti Kong (12min) – see above
  • 14:45 Birmingham of Yesterday (20min) – see above
  • 15:20 Craftsmen in the Making: Lucas Apprentice Film (20min) -  Produced by the Advertising Department of Joseph Lucas Limited, Birmingham, this video is an interesting insight into the famous Birmingham company Lucas.
  • 15: 50 Bull Ring Tales (10min) – see above

Sunday, March 27th, Canon Hill Park mac

Our final day at Flatpack – come and enjoy these fantastic films – free admission:

  • 11:00 Look Around Edgbaston (25min) – Archive documentary focusing on Edgbaston.
  • 11:40 Midland Journey (15min) – Narrated by EVH Emmett, this documentary from 1947 is enthralling and at times very funny.
  • 12:05 Colour Box 1 Extract (20min) – A programme of animated particularly suitable for young ones with all kinds of creatures to be found!
  • 12:40 Colour Box 2 Extract (20min) – More animated shorts from all over the place, this time for slightly older viewers.
  • 13:15 Spaghetti Kong (12min) – In May 1972 Birmingham welcomed the King Kong statue and Spaghetti Junction. One a cultural icon for the 1970s and the other a forgotten memory. Made by the Media Archive of Central England (MACE).
  • 14:00 Birmingham of Yesterday (20min) – Produced by the Birmingham Photographic Society, this silent short film takes a look around the city in the 1930s and includes some amazing footage of various Birmingham landmarks, including the Town Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and Centenary Square.
  • 14:35 Birmingham Film (20min) – Birmingham in the 1930s. Fascinating footage.
  • 15:05 The Mini: Birmingham’s Small Car (15min) – Humorous and insightful documentary about the Mini and its relationship to Birmingham.
  • 15:30 Craftsmen in the Making: Lucas Apprentice Film (20min) – Produced by the Advertising Department of Joseph Lucas Limited, Birmingham, this video is an interesting insight into the famous Birmingham company Lucas.

Tuesday, March 29th, Borderlines Film Festival, High Town, Hereford

From 10.30am – 5.30pm, we’re going to be showcasing some fantastic films at Hereford High Town. Screenings are FREE, and we’ve got some archive treats lined up, including films from the MACE archive’s Full Circle Project. You can book yourself a free place on the bus on the day, and come in and rest your feet a while in the comfort of the mobile cinema.

Wednesday, March 30th, England’s Gate Inn, Bodenham, Herefordshire

This is a special event from Borderlines – where else do you get to enjoy a pint and a meal out amongst the rolling green hills, and only have to step out of the front door for some of the finest cinematic entertainment in the country? Not only that, but you can have the chance to join a special bike ride to the event with Cycle Hereford. Again, thanks to the good folks at Borderlines, these screenings are free of charge and you can come on in to the cinema anytime from 11.30am – 6pm. For more details about this and about how to join the bike ride, see the Bordelines website.

See you there!
The Vintage Mobile Cinema is a unique slice of cinema and automotive history The cinema comes with two fully trained members of staff to run all the technical aspects and who can facilitate audience management. The 22 seat movie theatre has carefully tiered seating One of seven units custom built for the British government in the late 1960's Available for hire or collaboration and will consider working with anyone, anywhere

La Legende~Dali

This is a short film that packs a big punch. Somehow, film-maker Tom Austin turns ten minutes in a boxing gym with the legendary artist (played by Jez Jameson) into a surreal docu-drama about his life. And much like the great painter’s work, this film at once confounds yet makes sense of the insensible.

The film tells the story of how his odd family (including his dead brother) helped shape the young man into becoming arguably the twentieth century’s greatest painter. And there’s plenty here for the film buffs -  with reverential references to his and Bunuel’s groundbreaking film ‘Un Chien Andalou’, and his collaboration with Hitchcock on ‘Spellbound’, its aim is to remind us how much Dali has influenced the way we look at this wierd world we live in. Won Best Film (Audience Award) & Best Bursary Film at the Two Short Nights Film Festival, Exeter, Nov. 2009. You can catch a clip of the film on Youtube here, although this really is a film that deserves to be watched from beginning to end – keep an eye out to see when we might screen it next!

Screened at Compton Verney Art Gallery, November 2010

http://www.flatpackfestival.org/event/vintage-mobile-cinema

Flatpack Festival News

http://www.flatpackfestival.org/event/vintage-mobile-cinema

16mm Projector Installed

After a reassuringly busy winter we’ve finally had some time in the workshop and, along with a thorough spring clean, we today installed the Bell & Howell 16mm projector kindly donated to us some months back.

This is the exact same make and model that we believe was installed in each of the mobile cinema’s in 1967, so once we’d transferred the mounting base from the old projector plinth it couldn’t have been easier to fit  – it simply sat in place, perfectly housed. Next job on the list is getting power to it and putting a reel on!

Thanks once again to Chris Mellors of North Molton for the donation and research into which projector we needed.

Bell & Howell 16mm in Vintage Mobile Cinema