Best New Society 2016!

BILLERICAY COMMUNITY CINEMA

BEST NEW FILM SOCIETY OF THE YEAR

In the national “Film Society of the Year Awards” held in Sheffield on Saturday 5th November, Billericay Community Cinema won the coveted “New Film Society of the Year”

Organised by Cinema For All who help develop and support community cinema, this award is for community cinemas and film societies which have been in existence for less than 2 years. It was won despite very stiff competition from across the UK, from Glasgow to Hampshire by way of Nottingham and Billericay.

Billericay Community Cinema also won a Distinction in the “Best Marketing & Publicity” category for their creative use with limited resources of social media, printed media and their website competing against well-established groups.

The group were presented their award by Danny Leigh, writer, broadcaster and co-host of the BBC1 Film Programme.

What are the awards?

The awards showcase the very best of Community Cinema recognising the hard work of volunteers who bring film to communities across the length and breadth of the UK.

CinemaForAll (the trading name of the British Federation of Film Societies) help support and develop community cinema. Since 1969 they have hosted the Film Society of the Year Awards which cover a number of categories including Best Single Event, Community Award and the prestigious Film Society of the Year.

Quotes :

Deborah Parker, Chief Executive, CinemaForAll said : “Billericay Community Cinema sprang up just over a year ago, and has very quickly become a key part of the community, whilst ensuring healthy box office returns and great volunteer support. It’s all about the atmosphere for this group, who have put so much effort into making their cinema a social event for all the family. They describe their own biggest achievement as being the special environment they create – beanbags for the kids to sit on, colouring books and craft work and those all-important friendly greetings. We’re excited to award Best New Society to a shining example of what makes the community cinema experience so different to the multiplexes.”

Adam Adshead, Chairman, Billericay Community Cinema said : “This is a wonderful culmination of an incredible first year. To be recognised by our peers and to receive a national award is a huge honour. I’m so proud of everyone on the team who volunteers their time and effort so willingly. They are true Champions of our community. This group of people, and the many other groups of volunteers in Billericay who give so much epitomise what true community spirit is all about and make our town such a wonderful place to live”

What is Billericay Community Cinema?

@BillericayCine is a Community Cinema – a cinema run locally as a voluntary / not for-profit group by residents for the community.

Came about through an idea generated in May 2015 during “Billericay’s Big Do” run by Essex County Council, designed to help the community identify ways of making better use of the Library, a key community assets.

Since opening in late September 2015, it has shown 27 films to almost 1,156 people. The films have ranged from Ghostbuster to It’s a Wonderful Life, and from Romeo + Juliet to 1916’s The Battle of the Somme. Guest Charity at The Battle of the Somme were the Billericay Branch of the Royal British Legion, for whom we raised £162. Families have enjoyed an equally wide range – from Paddington to Elf, and Minions to Cinderella.

Billericay’s last established cinema – The Ritz – which was on Chapel Street closed in 1971

Who are we ?

The @BillericayCine Committee is made up of Adam Adshead, Gillian Lock, Anne Clarke, Emma Neppl, Carol Parker, Jo Adshead, Pete Mitchelmore, Carl Roberts and Shona Browning.