The Noble Guide to Running a Cinema at a Music Festival

Me outside the cinema tent at Wychwood Festival 2011

In my third year at University studying Fine Art, I wrote an 8000 word dissertation under the title 'An investigation into the value of cinema at music festivals'. My abstract went something like this:


"Every summer, more and more people choose to buy into an alternative lifestyle; that which is provided by music festivals. This decision will be predominantly based on the desire to see the latest bands and ‘rough it’ in a field for a few days. Recent years, however, have witnessed a heightening focus on other forms of entertainment, including film. Cinema is now present at a number of music festivals across Britain and this has been fuelled by the involvement of film-based organisations, such as the BFI ... This study is an insight into how cinema can extend far beyond the realms of the urban picture house."


At the time of writing, in 2009, organisations such as the BFI, Little White Lies, Future Cinema and BAFTA were doing there thing at music festivals. I wrote about the reasons for the increasingly prominent role of film bodies at festivals, such as an increase in public cinema-going, appreciation of film in general through film festivals and access to new more 'portable' technologies.


I came to the conclusion that whilst music festivals make great liberal playgrounds for film programming, it is important to understand that the value of cinema at such places will change depending on the festival,


"Whereas at Glastonbury it is clear that film selection is based on the desire to help festival goers relax and enjoy themselves as much as possible, at festivals like The Big Chill and Latitude the priority is to educate and challenge perceptions of film, as well as to entertain."

Since I wrote this over 2 years ago I have had much experience of working at cinemas at music festivals - I worked for The Lost Picture Show at a total of 4 festivals over 2 consecutive summers, and programmed the cinema tent at Wychwood Festival earlier this year. So I think it only seems right to update my findings. And hey presto! I've put together a mini-guide to how to run a successful cinema at a music festival:


1.  Get them inside! First and foremost, you have to provide the average festival goer with an incentive other than the film to get them into your venue - this could be in the form of comfy seating, cushions, hot drinks, cake or just simply warmth (especially at night). I've seen too many festival cinemas provide no more than a few seats, a roof and a screen, sometimes not even seats, expecting punters to sit on the grassy floor! What a cop out! Once you've got your audience in you can pretty much throw at them anything you wish and they will watch it. Take a tip from The Lost Picture Show:

Lost Picture Show interior

2. Know your crowd. In my study I drew attention to how "the type of festival and the audience it attracts will influence the overall success of the cinema programme", and this really does reign true. I tried to put together a programme of live events, experimental film and cutting edge short films at Wychwood Festival, which is a small festival aimed at middle-class families who like to while away the hours watching Ian Anderson on main stage with a Pimms in hand. And they put us in the kids area. Needless to say our kids' programme went down a treat but we struggled to get a crowd in for anything else!


On the other hand, Shambala is a similar sized festival but with a totally different vibe, where interaction and silliness is practically enforced. In both years it has been to the festival so far, Lost Picture Show was always packed out for workshops, short films, live scores classic and lesser known features, appealing to people of all ages.

Morning kids' programme at Wychwood Festival 2011

3. Travel light. Although Lost Picture Show looks absolutely stunning when completed, with its mattressed seating area, full bar, velveteen drapes and epic frontage, it does take an artic lorry and more to transport it, plus a team of 10-15 people to assemble it over 3 or 4 days. Unless you have the time, the money and the friends, I would say keep it simple and sustainable. You'll rarely get a crowd of more than 50-100 people at any one time, so use a smallish venue that is easy to put up or cheap to hire. Then focus your attention on the decor, seating and, of course, film programme.


4. Put on a show. I'm not saying you have to put on a silly costume, crack ten jokes between films and do a cartwheel, but try to make people feel they're really welcome and part of something special. Get someone to introduce each screening, even if its just a bunch of feature films, to make the audience understand that this is a real part of the festival and not just 'the cinema tent'. If you can, try to include some Q&As and encourage audience involvement, and live stuff (such as live film scores or VJing) will also help to incorporate your agenda into the rest of the festival's.

5. Get your timing right. When you are programming your corner in an event where there are so many other things to distract people, you have to make sure you know the ebbs and tides of the festival. All festivals are different, but from experience I would say the most popular cinema times are first thing in the morning with family shows, late afternoon / early evening and then late at night after the big headliners usually finish. So if there's anything in the programme that you're especially pleased with and want everyone else to see, make sure it doesn't clash with anything major!

The Lost Picture Show at Glastonbury 2011

Follow these tips and you shouldn't go too far wrong, just remember you're at a festival and are there to have fun like everyone else. And don't be too down-hearted if any of your films don't get as good a turn-out as you were hoping, 'tis the nature of the festival - those punters just don't know what they're missing! But ultimately, if you can draw the crowd, hosting a cinema tent at a music festival can be a hugely rewarding and surprising experience, especially when the audience starts to react in unexpected ways!

Wuthering Heights - stunningly beautiful and totally human

How better to start a blog than with a good ol' film review?

I went to see Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights on Friday, having never read the book or had any previous knowledge of the storyline.

I would normally steer well clear of any films that threaten period drama pompousness, but thought I'd give this one a go, having loved Arnold's previous work. I first thought the film would present a modern take on the story, especially as the trailer doesn't give much away in terms of time and style. I also couldn't imagine Arnold moving away from her previous council-estate themes that are ever present throughout her body of film work thus far, from Fishtank to her lesser-known shorts.

Her new film, however, is set in the mid-1800s period that the book intended, but with none of the polished romanticism that we are all expect with depictions of that time. It is brutally raw and uncompromising, whilst at the same time maintaining a sensitivity that makes us forget that the characters   supposedly existed 150 years ago. The film throws up stunning images of nature and the gloriously bleak Yorkshire dales, amidst scenes of stripped down humanity and moments of passion and horror. The dialogue is as sparse and vague as the landscape, shrouded by a soundtrack of unrelenting wind and animal noises. Every single shot is so beautiful that it could be taken out of context and framed.

In the end, what is presented is a montage of moments and feelings, which equal to a devastating love between two people could never ever work. It is heart-wrenching, real and totally human.

I have read a few criticisms of the film, one of which points out how the actors playing the older Cathy and Heathcliff  do not work together as well as the younger ones. To me this makes no sense - surely it is inevitable that the relationship between two childhood friends after being separated for several years and adopting new and different lives will become disjointed and awkward. I will agree that the younger actors' performances are more visceral and organic, much more akin Arnold's famous kitchen-sink style, but of course this is going to change when wealth and prestige comes into the equation.

I was thoroughly impressed with Wuthering Heights - it is a bold, daring and fresh take on a classic story, and one that I reckon Emily Bronte would be proud of.