Sinema Sadwrn, a new community cinema that holds monthly screenings at Llansadwrn Reading Room, are feeling very proud to have been named ‘Best New Film Society 2018’ at the Cinema for All Film Society of the Year awards, held in September.
They were shortlisted by a panel of judges and saw off the competition from Liverpool, Manchester, London, Slough and the Midlands. The judges said of their entry,
“From their creation less than a year ago, this group has hit the ground running – providing a much needed and much-loved addition to their rural community. With excellent marketing, great audience numbers and a beautifully balanced programme, this group has set the groundwork for longevity. They quite clearly have a vision, a strategy of how to achieve it, and a way of successfully evaluating it – which I think is top for a new society”.
Volunteers Drew Moxham and Lisa Denison travelled to Sheffield to collect the award from the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Magid Magid at the evening ceremony. They also took part in a weekend of workshop events and screenings with fellow community cinema enthusiasts from across the UK.
“It was a bit of a shock to get the award, and we were overwhelmed by all the kind words, advice and support we got afterwards from all the other groups at the event. We hope we did or bit for flying the Welsh flag and promoting rural cinema” commented Lisa.
The award is great recognition for the hard work of Sinema Sadwrn’s volunteers. Since their first screening in March this year, the team have put on a varied programme of comedies, dramas and film classics. They are also committed to promoting Welsh film through a programme of short films and features on a regular basis.
In July, they ventured out of the Reading Room for a free screening of ‘The Greatest Showman’, which was generously funded by local sponsors, as part of the Llansadwrn Big Party on the community field. In August they held a family-friendly showing of ‘Paddington 2’ at the Sexton Arms, with delicious food provided by Gardd Sadwrn.
Sinema Sadwrn will return to the Reading Room in October for a screening of three documentaries about rural Wales, supported by Film Hub Wales.
The main feature will be Gideon Koppel’s critically acclaimed ‘Sleep Furiously‘, a lyrical film about the ebb and flow of life in Trefeurig. The showing will also include two short films: ‘A Good Bitch’, by Rhys Edwards, about a north-Wales farming family and their working dogs; and ‘Dial-A-Ride’, by Superfolk Films, which is an uplifting portrait of a community bus service in the Brecon Beacons.There’ll be refreshments, an introduction and a chance to chat after the films.
For more information about Sinema Sadwrn’s upcoming screenings, search for the Sinema Sadwrn page on Facebook. All are welcome.
Photos courtesy of Mark Epstein