This summer marks twenty-one years of Film Studies at the Showroom. The programme normally offers three courses every year in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University to provide an inclusive space to share knowledge, passion, and love of film.

And although last March, COVID-19 forced the Showroom to close its doors to audiences, Film Studies at the Showroom has been revived for a very special summer edition…

Academics from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield have joined forces to present a summer season of weekly talks. Over seven weeks, different speakers will circle the cinematic globe by delving into a distinct area of cinema with a unique 45-minute talk and discussion.

The Showroom Summer Season launched on Wednesday 1st July at 7pm with Almodóvar’s Photographs led by Dr Ana María Sánchez-Arce. Ana María has written extensively on the works of Almodóvar and explored how the use of photographs in Almodóvar’s films reflect Spain’s traumatic past.

The following Wednesday, July 8th, Professor Kate Taylor-Jones from the University of Sheffield will take audiences on a fascinating journey of Gender, Sex and Class in Modern Korean Cinema. On July 19th, Professor Julia Dobson from the University of Sheffield will guide us through the theme of changing identities with a specific focus on Céline Sciamma's 2014 film Girlhood. Sarah Alwin and Tim Moffatt will transport us to a lush vision of colonial intrigue and scandal on 22nd June in William Wyler's presentation of a real-life murder case in The Letter. Dr Jennifer Coates will lead us through a discussion on Working From Home, 1960s Style: Gender Roles and Japanese Cinema on July 29th. It’s back to France on August 5th as Dr Chris Hall from Sheffield Hallam offers insights into Georges Perec’s Un Homme Qui Dort. Finally, last but certainly not least, on August 12th, Dr Sheldon Hall from Sheffield Hallam will explore the Gaumont Cinema in Sheffield, which was once the largest first-run cinema in the city.

The academics hosting the talks have come together to help keep Sheffield’s film community connected and to engage with audiences who miss listening, learning, and talking about film while the Showroom is closed.

The talks are free and will take place on Zoom every Wednesday at 7pm. Each session will operate on a ‘Donate As You Feel’ access with all money raised going towards the Showroom Cinema.

For more information on the season click here or find out more and reserve your space for each session on Showroom Workstation’s Eventbrite page.

This article first featured in the Sheffield Telegraph on 2 July 2020.