By Lottie Merchant, Third Year, Deputy Film and TV Editor
If you’re a film obsessed fresher, there’s nowhere better to have landed than Bristol. Its film scene most definitely goes beyond a couple of Vue cinemas dotted around with nothing else going on. It’s a working film city, and there's a route in for absolutely everyone, whether you want to watch, make, or write.
Speaking of which: if by the end of this article you’re itching to get your own opinions into print, Epigram’s Film and TV section is always looking for new writers. Reviews, features, and our regular ‘Flick Picks’ column are all open to first years, no experience necessary, just an opinion and a deadline!
In terms of cinemas, top of the list is the Watershed, Bristol’s beloved harbourside cinema and Epigram’s own long-running partner venue. Three screens, a café-bar and tickets at around £6 for under-24s make it the obvious first stop. Beyond Watershed, keep an eye on the Cube Microplex: equal parts cinema, gig venue and community hub. The Cube is a Volunteer-run, slightly ramshackle arthouse cinema where the crowd skews earnestly avant-garde and everyone has an opinion on 16mm versus digital. If you’re looking for something a little plusher there’s also the Everyman cinema that trades the cube’s eclectic charm for velvet armchairs and a glass of wine with your screening. Additionally, another venue of note is the Bristol aquarium, home to the Bristol Megascreen, formerly known as the Bristol IMAX, and the largest screen in the city, also located on the harbourside. Bristol’s festival calendar is just a rich as its cinema catalogue. To name a few, Encounters Film Festival (of which Aftersun, 2022 director Charlotte Wells is an alumna), Forbidden Worlds Festival, Bristol Film Festival and Slapstick all run through the year, mostly centred on the harbourside (clearly the place to be when it comes to film).
Jenna Baker
If you’d rather do than watch, the University of Bristol’s societies scene has you covered. InFilm is the university’s only dedicated filmmaking society, open to total beginners and seasoned auteurs alike, running regular short film challenges and workshops on everything from cinematography to sound. There’s also FilmSoc, the university’s home of cinemagoers, where you can attend bi-weekly screenings and enjoy member’s vote nights. Add UBTV, Bristol student’s TV station, into the mix and you’ve got a complete ecosystem, wherever your interest lies.
Sofia Lambis
For those who have chosen to study film, the University of Bristol’s department of Film and Television was one of the first in the UK to teach the subject. The department’s pioneering programme distinguished itself from other courses by integrating theoretical analysis with practical production. The University's industry-grade facilities include screening rooms, editing and animation suites, sound rooms and production studios all available to students on the course.
You also only have to walk up Whiteladies Road and you’re walking through what’s been nicknamed ‘Green Hollywood.’ This is the historic home of the BBC Natural History Unit, founded in 1957 and responsible for Blue Planet, Planet Earth and decades of David Attenborough’s finest work. Alongside Plimsoll Productions, it's one of the largest independent natural history production companies in the world. Aardman Animations, of Wallace and Gromit fame, also calls Bristol home. It’s rare to study somewhere that is so adjacent to the industry that it is a bustling form of production hub in its own right. With the established industry right on your doorstep, networking opportunities and internships may be more in reach here in Bristol than anywhere else!
Whichever path you decide to take, whether that be a cinema seat, a society sign-up sheet, or a camera right in your hand, Bristol makes it easy to stay close to film all year round. And if you end up with strong feelings about any of it, maybe you should consider writing for Epigram Film and TV!
Featured Image: 'A nighttime view of the Watershed' / Childs Sulzmann Architects
Where is your favourite place to participate in Bristol's film scene?
