The idea
The festival was originally conceived in 2015 and took place over a weekend. Planning started in the August that year and the project came together 6 weeks later in September, thanks to the incredible commitment and energy of our volunteers.
Since then it has grown to a week long festival with multiple screenings each day. We are planning our next event for September and our aim is to ensure it remains free and are continuously seeking funding.
We engage with as many businesses, schools and individuals as we can and carefully programme the event so that there is a film to appeal to all ages and tastes within the community. Where we can we try to match the film to the venue or find a connection to Streatham. An example of this was the screening of Dracula from 1931, starring Bela Lugosi, at Streatham Bingo Hall during our first festival. Bela Lugosi re-enacted Dracula at the very same venue in 1951!
We are passionate about cinema and believe that film brings people together.
What we'll deliver
- A carefully curated programme to suit all ages
- A community-driven event bringing people together
- A week-long free festival with multiple screenings each day celebrating all eras of cinema
- Engaging local businesses and increasing their customer-base
- Engaging schools and young people within the community
- Pay for all advertising, to include programme, posters and banners
- Pay for licences and procure the films
Why it's a great idea
It is a volunteer-powered event and it is free to everybody attending. As it has grown each year the feedback we have gathered has been incredibly positive, which is testament to the power of film.
Our aim has always been for the festival to be inclusive and we carefully select the films to reflect the diversity of Streatham. We engage as many local businesses as possible, ensuring that those who express an interest in hosting an event get the opportunity to do so. They provide the venue and we provide the equipment, licences and films, marketing, to include flyering, promoting on social media, advertising in local press, banners, posters etc.
We are offering incentives to our backers:
£10 entry into draw for private screening
£20 tote bag
£25 tote bag + social media posts
£50 tote bag + social media posts + name in film credits
£100 business advert/personal message before film
£150 private screening
£500 sponsorship of a screening, logo on prints, pre-film message
Steps to get it done
- Covering expenses of speakers and/or volunteers where necessary
- Procuring licences for each of the screenings
- The festival itself in September!
- Annual contribution towards Free Film Festival pooled funds for equipment
- Promoting and advertising the festival in local magazine, on social media, on t-shirts etc
We engage as many young people as possible as well. Dunraven and Telford Scott, two local schools, will curate a section of the festival. They will be responsible for the marketing, which will include design, social media posts and flyering. They will gain invaluable experience in event management by running the screenings.
Our festival is not only focused on screening films. Each year we open the festival with a 48 hour film competition. There are three categories: Under 16's, Over 16's and family. Participants are invited along to a local venue to be given a Streatham location, a line of dialogue and a prop on a Friday and they then have to return their 3 minute film 48 hours later on the Sunday. Industry professionals will then watch all submissions and adjudicate on these. The shorts will be screened the following Thursday to the general public, with professional feedback given, winners announced and prizes awarded.
