In 1925, a pioneering group of visionaries—including Ivor Montagu, Sidney Bernstein, and Iris Barry—founded the first film society in London, creating a space where avant-garde films, often overlooked by commercial cinemas, could be celebrated and shared with the public.
Now, in 2025, we mark a century of community cinema with a year-long celebration of its rich history and ongoing impact. Starting in April 2025, Cinema For All will lead the way in commemorating this incredible milestone with a dynamic program focused on film education, networking, and promotion.
Join us as we honour 100 years of film societies and their vital role in shaping the world of cinema, both on and off the screen.
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We’re excited to share that as part of our 2025 celebrations of 100 years of community cinema, we’re making ...
2025 marks 100 years of volunteer-led cinema and as part of our celebrations we’re asking organisations from around the ...
We’re asking organisations from around the UK to vote for their 10 favourite films. These votes will then be compiled to produce a list of the 100 greatest films of all time, as voted for by the community cinema movement, which will be announced at our celebratory event in the summer and in Film Stories.
The volunteer-led cinema movement is full of 100 stories, and we’re working on a documentary short to highlight its roots and demonstrate some of the amazing work done in the last 100 years.
Our headline event will be an evening of special awards, screenings, and celebrations. Stay tuned for more news and updates soon!
Would you like to be part of the wider movement of community cinemas and film societies? Join My Community Cinema, create your profile and start sharing your screenings. Exciting new features are coming online soon! Join and help us build a collective archive.