The History of FilmBath

by Oli Cliffe

Back in 1990, Bath’s film world was a very different place. While eventual IMDb founder Col Needham (now our friend and ally) was typing up the names of 2nd unit cameramen in a small flat in Bristol, Chris Baker, Philip Raby, Alastair Goolden, and the (then) 3 cinemas of Bath, were launching an experiment. They would screen a huge number of films in a short space of time, right in the heart of Bath. 

Then the unexpected happened. People came.

It took the arrival of Holly Tarquini, 20 years later, to bring the somewhat unwieldy vessel into shape. Chris, Philip, and Alastair, aided by a talented group of other film enthusiasts, bring passion for cinema and technical knowhow. Holly delivers efficiency, a more dynamic purpose, and a passion for diversity on screen and behind the camera.

Together with our trustees, our volunteers, and our supporters, we have managed not simply to keep the festival going for this long, but to make it a truly outstanding regional film festival.

Our Film Festival programme is the envy of others, for the simple reasons that we only show films we believe in and distributors trust us with top-drawer previews.

The F-Rating, a Fairtrade-like stamp applied to all films directed and/or written by women, is one of the most radical challenges to male dominance in cinema. Others talk, we act.

Our IMDb Awards (thanks to Col) are universally admired and support emerging talent financially and with exhibition.

All this is produced on a budget that would pay for 1 nanosecond of an Avengers movie and it is delivered with humour, patience, integrity, and a passion for films.

Our goal is to continue to change the face of film in Bath and challenge notions of what a great regional film festival looks like. By championing and showcasing diversity on screen and behind the camera, we are also continuing to inspire other exhibitors to programme more diverse films, both in the UK and beyond.

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