Chichester Cinema’s A Greener Screen Film Festival shines spotlight on climate change and local sustainability

Film goers enjoyed a season of 21 environmentally focused films and meaningful community partnerships brought together by Chichester Cinema.

With the devastating effects of climate change increasingly evident around the world, this year Chichester Cinema took its annual environmental film season to a new level. A Greener Screen balanced a programme of films exploring the challenges facing our planet, with films celebrating the beauty, diversity and wonder of our natural world.

From moving stories of human connection and documentaries examining the impact of our environmental footprint, to inspiring accounts of those working to restore and regenerate the natural world. Supported by local environmental partners who shared their knowledge on key issues, the season offered audiences a rich and varied perspective on the challenges facing our planet.

An important focus of this year's season was its strong community involvement. Chichester Cinema partnered with a wide range of grassroots charities, environmental action groups and local sustainable farming businesses, bringing their expertise and passion directly to audiences and highlighting the fantastic work taking place across West Sussex and Hampshire.

Partners included Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, Goodwood Education Trust, Final Straw Foundation, Tuppenny Barn, the Soil Association, Surfers Against Sewage, Solent Seascape Project, Beaver Trust, Transition Town Chichester and Underwater Sussex. Together, they helped raise awareness of local environmental initiatives and celebrate efforts to restore biodiversity, protect wildlife and promote more sustainable ways of living and farming.

There was also an opportunity to sample the quality of locally grown produce, with several businesses generously providing treats for cinema-goers. Woodhorn Farm handed out free vanilla fudge during the sell-out screenings of Derek vs Derek, while On Tap Collective supplied jam and punnets of strawberries and figs. Barfoots delighted younger audiences by giving away free pumpkins to those attending the hugely popular screenings of Shaun the Sheep: The Monster of Soggy Bottom.

The season attracted over 1,000 admissions including many new audience members, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Films were described as "thought-provoking" and "informative", with some respondents saying they had changed the way they thought about environmental issues. Visitors to the cinema valued the opportunity to discover new perspectives on nature, wildlife, farming, food systems and our collective environmental responsibilities.

Anne-Marie Flynn, Executive Director of Chichester Cinema said: “Film is an incredibly powerful and influential medium, capable of turning apathy into action. We are delighted that this year's season has brought so many people together to explore these important issues, while celebrating the extraordinary work being done locally to protect and restore our natural environment. We look forward to building on these partnerships and working with many more local organisations next year.”

Through A Greener Screen, Chichester Cinema has demonstrated how film can do more than entertain: it can inform, inspire and bring communities together around the issues that matter most.

The cinema is now working towards its winter season, which includes a high-quality programme of films from around the world as well as initiatives and events with local organisations including PACSO, Children's BookFest and the Apuldram Centre. Find out more here - https://chichestercinema.org/