Arun district has rich and surprising film history, organiser says ahead of new Bognor Regis event
The event, dubbed Lights, Camera, Action! is set to take place at the Bognor Regis Museum on October 26, from 11am to 4pm; with talks on and screenings of old documentaries, film clips and newsreels related to Bognor Regis and its surrounding areas.
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Hide AdIt’s a labour of love for cinephiles Simon Mead and Mark Williams, author of Bootlace Cinema, who met at the Dog and Duck and developed the germ of the idea sometime afterwards.
Mark’s an expert on 8mm cinema and it’s deep ties to the low-budget sci-fi, horror and exploitation films of decades gone by and so, in screen one, he’ll host a lengthy session on the use of 8mm projectors, a talk on the format’s history and popularity, while showing clips from a range of classic 8mm films, including: The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dambusters and Gunfight at the OK Corral.
Simon, meanwhile, will provide an introduction to the history of cinemas in Bognor Regis and travelling film players before delving into the medium’s past, present and future.
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Hide AdHis segment includes screenings of old and exceedingly rare films shot in the area, including 1907’s A Seaside Girl, as well as interviews with creatives currently working in the space; including Felpham-based director Kevin Short, and Bognor-Regis based documentary filmmaker Stuart McKears.
It’s all part of the Arun Film project, which Simon started earlier this year in order to explore the history of cinema in the area, deploying his skills as a former film journalist to sniff out clips from half-shot films, cut footage from finished projects and old newsreels. The website, arunfilm.com, where readers can find a full timetable with all the details of the event, is a sort of celluloid treasure trove, with entries on everything from major projects like the Punch and Judy Man, to esoteric classics like 1918’s Nelson, which was partially filmed in Littlehampton.
Simon says the area’s history is deeper and richer than people know, and you only have to look a bit harder to see it: “What surprised me was just the amount of stuff that was made here. Film is my thing, and I’ve always been an internet hound, so I’ve just been digging and digging for this stuff and it keeps cropping up.”