Notes on the film selection process
​
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.....

1. 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.
2.  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.
3. 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.
4. These sheets, plus reading materials and reviews are then distributed to committee members.
5. 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.
6. 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

Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:

2022
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%

2023
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%
2020:
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 
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%
2019 
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

Audience (approx)
​120
​130
100
150
150
​140
​140
​150
​155
​135​
​145
​120
85

Reaction
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

Audience  (approx)
​140
​100
150
​130
​185
​150
​130
90
​150
​130
130
130
​130

Reaction
89%
​79%
​80%
​80%
​94.1%
​69%
​93.9%
76%
​88%
​93%
73%
85%
​79%