Scalarama returns

The month-long Scalarama film festival returns for a fifth year in September on a mission to “fill the land with cinemas”.

Locally, the programme includes a free outdoor screening on Christmas Steps, taking place on Friday 25 September, under the banner Shorts on the Steps. Details of the event, organised by Twentieth Century Flicks, are still being confirmed. But the current plan is to divide the evening into three half-hour segments beginning at 8pm. These will comprise silent shorts with musical accompaniment, the winning films from a local competition to be launched shortly, and a selection of work by invited local filmmakers.

To add to the party atmosphere, booze will be available from the Bristol Cider Shop and Twentieth Century Flicks will be selling popcorn, crisps, soft drinks and chocolate from 7pm. In addition, the Beatroot Cafe will set up a barbecue at the top of the steps. You’re invited to bring your own cushions.

Film clubs from across the city are uniting for this year’s festival, which boasts a number of themes. These include celebrating celluloid, trying to persuade us that ‘VHS is the new vinyl’ (only idiot hipsters could fall for that, surely?), the tenth anniversary of Second Run DVD, and a focus on female filmmakers with #DirectedbyWomen.

Here’s a brief run-down of events taking place locally as part of Scalarama, some of which have been previously announced.

Twentieth Century Flicks
VHStival
Four programmes (Sept 5, 12, 19 & 26) celebrating the dubious pleasures of wonky old VHS. Each one takes place in the Flicks Kino. Admission is free, but be warned that the Kino can only accommodate 11 people!

CageFest
A three-part celebration of Nic Cage and his splendidly committed way with preposterous dialogue and daft plotting. Expect to see Wild At Heart (Sept 9), Con Air (Sept 16) and Drive Angry (Sept 23).

Bristol Sunset Cinema
Flash Gordon at Clifton Observatory on Saturday, September 26

Bristol Bad Film Club
Roar at Windmill Hill City Farm on Thursday, September 10

Cannoli & Gun
Goodfellas at Vincenzo’s on Park Street on Monday, September 21

The Cube
The Cube’s typically ecelctic contributions include the director’s cut of 54 with a suitably themed party (Sept 11), a Shirley Clarke double bill (Sept 23), a Video Nasties Night (Sept 16) and the Hellfire Video Club’s Kung Fu Bananas night (Sept 18). 

Seventyseven Film Club
Experimental Irish film He on Sept 11 and classic Chinese silent film The Goddess with live piano accompaniment by Ocean Floor (Sept 27), both at Café Kino. 

Bristol Radical Film Festival
A people power double bill of McLibel and Nick Broomfield’s A Time Comes at the PRSC new building on Sept 24. 

Bristol Silents
Oddities of Soviet Cinema, including a rare version of Battleship Potemkin, at The Lansdown, 8 Clifton Road, on Sept 23.

University of Bristol Film Society
Second Run Sunday – a five-film marathon selected from the Second Run DVD label. Screened in the Winston Theatre at Bristol University Students’ Union on Sept 27

Curzon Cinema
The Curzon open day on Sept 13 offers a rare opportunity to nose around this splendid historic cinema. On the same day, Bristol Silents screens DW Griffiths’ 1919 silent masterpiece, Broken Blossoms, starring Lilian Gish, with live piano accompaniment by Andy Quin.