Our social cinema nights

 When we took over from the Council in October, we managed to secure £500 from FEL for our planned social cinema project. This funding was intended to help us set up community films that would educate us in a fun way about how to future-proof our families and work together as a community to build resilience and safety towards climate change and environmental concerns. Through these films, we aimed to tackle global issues from our own homes.

With the £500 grant and some donated equipment, we got off to a good start by screening our first film on biodiversity loss and rewilding, titled "Why Not Scotland?" This film was shown at 7:00 PM on Thursday, November 28th. We sourced this film for free and obtained permission from the filmmakers to screen it to an audience, followed by a Q&A session. The screening went reasonably well; everyone in attendance enjoyed the film and was invited to have a cup of tea and a biscuit, available for donation or free during the Q&A. The hub made a small profit from the tea and coffee, but our primary goal was never about making money; it was about encouraging our community to take action to protect wildlife.

It was decided that these types of films would be screened by our sustainability manager on the last Thursday of each month. However, the rest of the management team felt that having the equipment and space presented a good opportunity to host a Christmas-themed film as a community fundraising event. The process of determining the necessary licensing to show internationally known films, which copywrites are owned by large corporations, was lengthy and complicated. The sustainability manager was opposed to purchasing a license, he is also a trustee for Scotland's Environmental Film Festival held annually in Montrose. His screenings do not require a license and are not profit-driven. Nonetheless, he was outvoted by the management team, who decided to go ahead with screening the classic film "It’s a Wonderful Life" in both matinee and evening showings on Monday, December 23rd.

The license needed to show this film legally cost the hub nearly £350. At the time, the management team believed they could recoup this cost through future screenings. We looked into ticket pricing and marketing options, but it quickly became clear that it would require too much effort. Instead, we opted for a donation-based system for coffee, tea, and cake, hoping this would help cover the license fee. While we did earn some money from this approach, it was not enough to cover the full cost of the license.

The last Thursday of December 2024 fell on the 26th. We screened a film called "Finite," which focuses on environmental protection against coal mining companies. This hard-hitting film is particularly relevant for us, as we live in an area threatened by fracking and still recovering from the impacts of past coal mining activities. Unfortunately, the turnout for this film was disappointing; however, those who did attend were emotionally impacted in a profound way.

Moving on to January 2025, we hosted a screening of "ACTionism," which was launched at our hub. This globally acclaimed film is currently touring community centers around the world, encouraging people to adopt a less consumerist lifestyle and become more active citizens. Although it’s not a long film, the most impactful part of our event was the Q&A session we held afterward, where we urged our community members to take actions toward zero waste initiatives. Whether it was picking up litter or reducing the purchase of disposable goods, every little effort contributes to environmental protection.

By February, we noticed a decline in the number of supporters for our social cinema. We hosted a screening of a film that is very dear to the heart of our sustainability manager: the Scottish film "Local Hero." This poignant and touching movie resonates with anyone who grew up in that world 42 years ago. Our sustainability manager, Kenny, had left the oil and gas industry to cycle home, listening to the film's theme song, "Going Home," as he passed the famous phone booth on his journey away from the oil industry forever.

In March, we held a screening organized by a company called Home Instead. This event was free and included refreshments like sandwiches, cakes, tea, and coffee for the elderly community. In February, we also screened a biography of the legendary Scottish cyclist, Graeme Obree, titled "The Flying Scotsman." 

After that screening, the management team decided to pause the sociable cinema initiative for the time being. The workload for our small group of unpaid volunteers had tripled, and hosting events for the diminishing number of attendees was no longer sustainable for the hub. 

Fast forward to August, when Kenny spoke with a member of Friends of the Earth who expressed enthusiasm for taking on the initiative. They generously offered to pay for a room in september to host a screening. of a yet-to-be-named film. Stay tuned for further announcements!