Sprouting a new way of seeing

From Wednesday 15 to Sunday 19 February, Showroom Cinema will be screening a festival curated by young film programmers from across the country.

The young programmers who completed the British Film Institute (BFI) Academy Specialist Programming course at Showroom Cinema, have now been given free reign to take over one of our screens for their very own festival. The result is a season with some of the most boundary-breaking and unique films to grace our cinema. The festival includes both cult classics we can’t wait to re-watch and contemporary favourites that are a joy to behold on the big screen.

In the programming office, we have been continually impressed by the young people taking on the programme this year, who have come up with wild, out-of-the-box ideas and used thorough research to influence their work. We have also noticed a real tenacious passion to show films that challenge the status quo. Art Without Limit, Beyond the Gaze, and Cinequarium strands focus on social and environmental topics, featuring films such as Tomboy, Shooting the Mafia, A Quiet Place Part 2, and The Red Turtle. In equal measure, there is an evident love for cinema and all things theatrical in The Jim Carrey Experience and Obsession.

Alongside each proposed screening, we will also be showing a selection of BFI Film Academy’s very own short films.

Two stands to watch out for during the festival are highlighted by the young programmers statements:

The Jim Carrey Experience is an immersive, double-barrel screening showcasing two films across Carrey’s forty-year career that break the mould of his comedic works; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Cable Guy.

Arguably an alternative Valentine’s Day romance, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an unusual role compared to Carrey’s previous works. Carrey portrays the troubled and introverted Joel, who relives the memories of his relationship after choosing to erase his once-girlfriend, Clementine, from his mind. It’s a uniquely bittersweet love story that makes a case for the existence of love that defies all odds.

Cinequarium shows films from above and below the surface that use distinctive art styles to demystify some of the wonder surrounding 80% of the unexplored ocean. Using film as a vehicle of discovery we have curated the Cinequarium program to demonstrate the magical ability our oceans have to heal relationships between friends, family, ourselves, and our universe, while subtly raising essential messages about the conservation of our Earth.

Tickets are on sale now.