Young People Plan Their Own Film Festival at Showroom Cinema
For the third year running, 30 young people aged 16–19 from across the UK have selected films for the BFI Film Academy Young Programmers Festival, which returns to Showroom Cinema from 12-16 February.
This year's festival features five days of double bills, which include some of the best contemporary and cult classics, each with a different theme. Each screening will feature a warm welcome and introduction from the young people who made it possible – as well as some extra special events and surprises still to be announced. In previous years, costumes, decor, and craft activities have popped up around the cinema to celebrate the occasion.
Themes of this year's festival cover rich and varied ground from censorship in Iran, “Galentines Day”, doppelgangers, teenage nihilism, and the innocence of youth. Films in the programme range from contemporary arthouse documentary with Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, 00’s classic Bend It Like Beckham, to unmissable, critically acclaimed French drama La Haine, amongst many more.
Their selections are a joy to behold on the big screen, and putting these films back where they belong gives viewers a chance to catch them for the first time or give a classic a much-needed rewatch.
The BFI Young Programmers Festival was planned and organised by 30 talented 16–19 year olds from this year’s BFI Film Academy Specialist Programming Course, which runs at Showroom Cinema each year. On the month-long course, young people from across the UK learned about film programming, marketing, distribution and audience development alongside industry professionals and filmmakers from around the world.
At Showroom, we believe it’s important to elevate unheard voices and support the education of the next generation in the film industry. Working with the BFI Film Academy and playing host to the Specialist Programming Course gives a platform to aspiring programmers to bring ideas to life, and for audiences to see and champion their hard work!
As a cinema programmer, working with these young people to hear their ideas, thoughts and perspectives, is extremely rewarding; their passion for film and creating a special cinema experience is infectious, and I know this passion will rub off on the audiences who attend.
Book your tickets now to catch these extra special, carefully curated screenings and keep an eye out for more information about the 2025 Specialist Course if you, too, are inspired to get involved.
Tickets available at: /youngprogrammersfestival