Film Archives - Blackpool Social Club

21 Sep

Blackpool’s young filmmakers get another shot at the big screen

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilm, Opportunities

Aunty Social is on the hunt for the town's future filmmakers – recruiting 16-19 year olds from the for a fully-funded course from the BFI that takes a film from script to screen, with mentors who've worked on Doctor Who, Star Wars and Alien. This autumn, community arts organisation Aunty Social is helping to train and inspire the next generation of UK filmmakers and production crew, as it launches its third BFI Film Academy North West Introductory Course. The British Film Institute's flagship skills programme is designed to support participants to develop the skills and industry knowledge needed to begin…

20 Aug

Make Stuff Happen: five producers wanted to shape Blackpool Film Festival 2027

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilm, Opportunities

Ever wanted to produce your own film events? Aunty Social is recruiting five producers for a development programme that will see them design and deliver their own event at Blackpool Film Festival 2027 Aunty Social, the creative organisation behind Blackpool Film Festival, is on the hunt for five producers to join its Creative Producer Development Programme. The bursary-funded seven-month scheme hands participants the reins to design and deliver their own event as part of the 2027 festival. The programme is aimed at early-to-mid career independent producers based in Blackpool who want to build a career producing events, whether that's exhibitions,…

18 Jun

Rendered in Light: Creativity as a tool for survival

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsFilm, Guide

A film screening, creative workshop and conversation at Aunty Social will explore how art, technology and community action can help people navigate displacement, conflict and survival during Refugee Week 2026. Taking place during Refugee Week 2026, Rendered in Light: Screening + Creative Activism Session brings together Fylde Coast Amnesty, CREATIF CIC and Aunty Social for an evening exploring solidarity, resilience and hope in the face of conflict. The evening begins with Fylde Coast Amnesty sharing current casework and campaigns relating to Palestine. On the night they will be offering insight into the experiences behind the ongoing news coverage. This year's…

11 May

Film Preview: Moulin Rouge 25th Anniversary Sing-a-long screening at The Arc Cinema

Louise Ashcroft0 CommentsFilm, GuideBlackpool Film Festival, Electric Pink Voices, LGBT, Moulin Rouge, The Arc Cinema

Join Blackpool Film Festival and Electric Pink Voices to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Moulin Rouge with a special sing-a-long screening at The Arc Cinema on Friday 15 May at 7pm. The film has been selected by Blackpool’s LGBTQ+ and allies community choir Electric Pink Voices, who have been rehearsing the Moulin Rouge songs in advance to help encourage audience members to join in with the singing. This follows on from the success of their previous The Little Mermaid sing-a-long event earlier in the year. For the LGBTQ+ community, storytelling has always been an act of survival. By joining voices in…

08 Mar

Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival returns to Blackpool on its 20th Anniversary tour

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilmAunty Social, Blackpool Film Festival, Film, Iris Prize, LGBTQ

The 20th anniversary celebrations of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival will honour lesbian-focused films in this year's tour of 25 towns, including Blackpool.From forbidden kisses to real-life revolution, Blackpool Film Festival and Aunty Social will be welcoming Iris on Tour to Arc Cinema, Blackpool on Wednesday 11 March 2026 for an evening of fabulous LGBTQ+ film from the Cardiff-based film festival. The evening’s screenings will include the 2025 Iris Prize winner, One Day This Kid, directed by Alexander Farah and Best British winner Chris Urch, for his film Blackout, giving audiences outside Cardiff the chance to see award-winning queer…

06 Dec

It’s time to get CAMP AT THE CINEMA with Blackpool Film Festival

Catherine Mugonyi0 CommentsFilm, Guidecinema, Film, performance

Blackpool Film Festival heads to the ARC Cinema (formerly Backlot) on Thursday 11 December for an evening of high drama and huge emotions at a special screening of Paul Verhoeven’s SHOWGIRLS (1995). Harry Clayton-Wright. Photo by Lee Baxter Using the much loved sensibility of camp, Harry Clayton-Wright and Catherine Mugonyi created Camp at the Cinema , a live cinema event that highlights iconic over the top moments on the silver screen. Audiences will be treated to a funny, engaging and insightful cinema talk that explores the idea of camp and shares examples of its presence in the world of film…

27 Sep

BFI Film Academy back to support Young Filmmakers

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilm, OpportunitiesBFI, Blackpool, Film, filmmaking, young people

Aunty Social is looking for 10 young people aged 16-19 from the Blackpool area to take part in the BFI Film Academy programme and kickstart their film careers. This autumn community arts organisation Aunty Social is helping to train and inspire the next generation of UK filmmakers and production crew. The British Film Institute’s Film Academy programme will start in October and is designed to support participants to develop the skills and industry knowledge needed to kickstart a successful career in the screen industries. This filmmaking opportunity helps young people to take a film from ‘script to screen’. From taking…

07 Apr

Connect & Collaborate: Blackpool Filmmaker Social

Kelsey Draper0 CommentsFilm, Guide, OpportunitiesFilm, film festival, filmmaking

Following the popularity of their previous networking event, Blackpool Film Festival is hosting another exciting filmmaker mixer, this time at the Rhythm & Brew Room. Networking is a vital element in building a successful career in independent filmmaking. Whether it’s forging new connections, learning from industry professionals or assembling a team of creatives to bring a project to life, attending industry events offers invaluable opportunities to develop a filmmakers career and unlock new career possibilities. However, breaking into these circles can often feel like a challenge. While film festivals and networking events are growing in number across the UK, they…

27 Mar

Reflecting on the 2024 BFI Film Academy

Kelsey Draper0 CommentsFilm, Local News

In October 2024, Aunty Social began an exciting journey with 13 talented young filmmakers from the Blackpool area, inviting them to be a part of their BFI Film Academy programme. Over the next 4 months, these aspiring creatives explored the world of filmmaking, learning valuable new skills from local industry professionals. Through a mixture of hands-on workshops and insightful online sessions, they not only learned the ropes of the film industry, but also developed and produced their own unique short film, Christmas.DV. Aunty Social has been working as part of a North West consortium which includes FACT Liverpool, Touchstones Rochdale, Signal Film & Media…

19 Jan

Short Film: Queers in Blackpool

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilmFilm, film festival, filmmaking

Blackpool’s newest multi-artform festival, Queer Amusements, lit up the North-West from April to September in 2024. To mark its culmination, a new short film from James Barnett (best known for his viral videos of parents Michael and Teresa on his channel @makemeaoffer) shines a light on the people who were involved, the town it took place in, and what happens next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsadGEc4HbA&list=TLGGgNrWpRLYaJoxOTAxMjAyNQ&t=30s Drawing on interviews with participating artists and collaborators, performance footage, photography and playfully camp glances at Blackpool’s long histories of entertaining, Queers in Blackpool acts as a snapshot of a festival which looks to bring new art and…