What have we seen?
In general terms, we are a FILM SOCIETY and so anything is fair game. In reality, however, we do respect our demographics and, whilst The Human Centipede might play a late night at Cambridge, it’s not really for us. Also, we do usually filter out the mainstream films (Potter, Bond etc) and those that have had strong first runs at local cinemas. Nor do we, as a rule, programme the older classics – membership has exceeded all expectations since we took the decision to focus on recent releases. Then.....
- As Booking Officer, David monitors UK releases all year round. July to February releases make up the members’ questionnaire. This is an important part of the process and the results are collated carefully. However, the committee does not consider it to be binding on all decisions and it has never been used to provide all the titles. Why not? Well, a brand new title might subsequently garner poor reviews, the top six choices might all be French, or American, or war films and so the season might be unbalanced or repetitive.
- Committee members try and attend regional viewing sessions and we also welcome word of mouth feedback from members who have seen something in London, Paris or the States, for example. We try and see some of the borderline cases on DVD or distributor screeners.
- Suitable releases between March and June/July are then added to the questionnaire titles and the long list of up to 60 films goes on to a large spreadsheet with ratings etc.
- These sheets, plus reading materials and reviews are then distributed to committee members.
- We make the final stage as scientific as possible. There are two planning meetings. At the first, the committee goes through all 60 titles identifying the shortlist certainties and the ones we can dismiss (this is where the questionnaire comes into play and it is just as valuable in showing us the least popular titles). This reduces the number of films to about twenty.
- At the second meeting, a week later, the committee deliberates! The remaining titles and other details e.g. French romantic comedy, have been put on index cards. This helps to achieve a good balance and we can also vary the running order for a ‘best fit’. It is normal to agonize over the last couple of choices, but blood is most certainly not spilt and we end up with 13 titles and about 4 reserves. Easy! Unless the film has not been released after all, or, for budgetary reasons, the distributor has either not released it in digital format at all, or has quickly used the hard drive to store another title....
To conclude, the questionnaire is used and is important (whilst recognising that its format and style are not without flaws), but your committee has an overarching responsibility with regard to the final selection.
Looking back to previous seasons
2025-26
FOUR MOTHERS
Audience 105, Reaction 77%
ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS
Audience 112, Reaction 63%
JUROR #2
Audience 105, Reaction 86%
VERMIGLIO
Audience 110, Reaction 75%
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Audience 109, Reaction 79%
HOLY COW
Audience 124, Reaction 77%
2024-25
6 October
THE GREAT ESCAPER
Audience 83, Reactions 92.8%
13 October
THE TASTE OF THINGS
Audience 82, Reactions 78%
3 November
ONE LIFE
Audience 85, Reactions 95.8%
17 November
FALLEN LEAVES
Audience 115, Reactions 69%
1 December
KIDNAPPED
Audience 91, Reactions 79%
15 December
THE HOLDOVERS
Audience 96, Reactions 81%
5 January
THE OLD OAK
Audience 94, Reactions 93%
19 January
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Audience 91, Reactions 82%
16 February
THE INNOCENT
Audience 96, Reactions 85%
2 March
HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
Audience 92, Reactions 58%
9 March
TYPIST ARTIST PIRATE KING
Audience 78, Reactions 73%
16 March
PERFECT DAYS
Audience 112, Reactions 81%
23 March
AMERICAN FICTION
Audience 104, Reactions 89%
NINE QUEENS
Audience 85, Reaction 78%
HARD TRUTHS
Audience 90, Reaction 69%
DRIVING MUM
Audience 100, Reaction 83%
MY FAVOURITE CAKE
Audience 97, Reaction 85%
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
Audience 85, Reaction 84%
THELMA
Audience 91, Reaction 79%
2023-24
10 September
LIVING
72 members present, reactions 92%
24 September
LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM
116 members present, reactions 94%
15 October
SHE SAID
96 members present, reactions 89%
29 October
THE QUIET GIRL
129 members present, reactions 86%
12 November
THE DROVER’S WIFE: THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON
115 members present, reactions 65%
26 November
CLOSE
100 members present, reactions 82%
3 December
LIVE MUSIC SPECIAL EVENT with SONIC SILENTS
BEGGARS OF LIFE
107 members present, reactions 93%
7 January
1976
93 members present, reactions 69%
21 January
AFTERSUN
85 members present, reactions 43%
4 February
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
83 members present, reactions 83%
18 February
TORI AND LOKITA
92 members present, reactions 81%
3 March
RYE LANE
108 members present, reactions 69%
17 March
EMPIRE OF LIGHT
104 members present, reactions 94%
Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:
2022-23
18/09 - The Father - 64 - 92%
02/10 - Riders of Justice* - 112 - 78%
16/10 - Ali and Ava - 105 - 67.5%
30/10 - Parallel Mothers* - 108 - 88%
13/11 - Compartment No 6* - 118 - 75%
27/11 - Soylent Green - 112 - 69%
04/12 - Phantom of The Open - 100 - 89%
08/01 - Escape from Mogadishu* - 107 - 85%
22/01 - Belfast - 98 - 91%
05/02 - Hive* - 100 - 82%
19/02 - Hell Drivers - 78 - 73%
05/03 - Here We Are* - 102 - 87%
19/03 - The Duke - 82 - 93%
* subtitled films.
Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:
Early 2022
A half-season, recovering from the pandemic
Jan 9th - Official Secrets - 77 - 96%
Jan 23rd - Portrait of a Lady on Fire* - 71 - 71%
Feb 6th - Minari - 76 - 80%
Feb 20th - Capernaum* - 76 - 92%
Mar 6th - Parasite* - 66 - 75%
Mar 20th - Limbo - 78 - 76%
Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:
2019-20:
22 Sep The Wife 130 84%
6 Oct Cold War * 130 82%
20 Oct Leave No Trace 150 83%
3 Nov Shoplifters * 145 79%
17 Nov BlacKkKlansman 145 90%
8 Dec Woman at War * 145 90%
15 Dec The Bookshop 135 76%
5 Jan The 12th Man * 120 95%
19 Jan Old Boys 135 81%
2 Feb Can You Ever Forgive Me? 145 79%
16 Feb C'est la Vie * 130 85%
1 Mar A Private War 145 92%
15 Mar Wild Rose 95 85%
2018-19
Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:
2018-19
23 Sept The Post 130 90%
7 Oct Jour de Fete* / One Week 120 73%/83%
21 Oct The Death of Stalin 130 79%
4 Nov Three Billboards ... 130 90.4%
18 Nov Bastards* 140 75%
2 Dec The Shape of Water 130 88%
9 Dec Lean on Pete 130 72%
6 Jan The Nile Hilton Incident* 130 75%
20 Jan Loving Vincent* 120 90.7%
3 Feb Maudie 140 96%
17 Feb Phantom Thread 130 72%
3 March Custody* 110 82%
17 March Lady Bird 120 76%
2017-18
I, Daniel Blake
Julieta*
Jackie
The Fencer*
Denial
A Quiet Passion
Queen of Katwe
Lady Macbeth
The Olive Tree*
Miss Sloane
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Frantz*
Their Finest
120
130
100
150
150
140
140
150
155
135
145
120
85
94.5%
80%
65%
94.6%
88%
57%
88%
66%
87%
81%
92%
84%
91%
2016-17
Brooklyn
Marshland
99 Homes
Theeb
La Famille Bélier
Sicario
Trumbo
Son of Saul
Sing Street
Eye in the Sky
Rams
The Dressmaker
The Crow’s Egg
140
100
150
130
185
150
130
90
150
130
130
130
130
89%
79%
80%
80%
94.1%
69%
93.9%
76%
88%
93%
73%
85%
79%