19/07/2025
The Bishop Sutton Village Hall committee are considering whether to try to organise regular film nights at the village hall during the autumn and winter months. We are conscious that watching films at cinemas can be expensive and inconvenient to travel to our neighbouring cities.
We are looking for feedback from villagers and those further afield whether they would support such a venture if we organised this; probably once a month on a Friday evening at the village hall where the bar would be offering limit refreshments including alcohol.
Until recently, I was unaware that the “Chew Stoke Film Club” across the lake from us, has been operating for the past 11-12 years, where there is a membership association and films are shown every month on a Thursday evening. For various reasons, it is likely this club will finish providing this benefit at the end of the year. We are in discussions with them about taking on the role and being provided with some of their equipment to help get us underway.
Of course, although we can show ‘classic’ films, most of these are already available at home to stream. Our thoughts are to show the most recent films we can obtain which may have just finish a run at cinemas. An example of this is ‘Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. Access is also available to films that will be coming out next year so we can programme these in for later months such as ‘Shrek 5’; ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, etc. We would be required to pay a licence fee for public entertainment but will aim to keep these costs to be passed on, as low as possible.
Depending on demand, we may also be able to show children’s films at appropriate times at weekends. Age restrictions for any films will be dictated by the film rating.
We would like to hear if this new initiative would be well received and supported from people in the village and its environs who would be prepared to pay £5-10 for such a film night at the village hall.
Additionally, we only have seven committee members on the village hall committee; these extra tasks will add to the workload already being undertaken by these volunteers. There must be people out there who have an interest in technical film equipment or may be a film buff who could assist us in this venture?
Please get in touch with the chair, Derek Maltby [email protected] telling us your preference for this new initiative and whether you could also help make it happen!
