WHAT IS SCALARAMA LEEDS?
Scalarama Leeds is a DIY celebration of cinema by anyone, for everyone, everywhere. Anybody can join and put on a film screening in our film festival - a feature film or selection of shorts - which can be screened anywhere in Leeds.
We tend to use non-traditional cinema venues, as long as they, or you, have all the equipment needed to screen a film. We're all passionate about film and want to bring alternative films and different film experiences to the people of Leeds!
We've created a friendly film scene made up of programmers who've taken part in Scalarama for years and the many new programmers we welcome every year. Our programme is always eclectic as it's made up of lots of different film programmers' choices which collectively makes a very special and unique film festival.
HISTORY
Scalarama is a DIY film event that is a part of the annual Scalarama celebration of community-led film exhibition, taking place across the month of September.
In 2011 inspired by the energy, creativity and diverse programming of the Scala Cinema (1978-1993), a new film festival was founded, called Scala Forever.
A collective of London-based exhibitors joined together to pay tribute to the legendary cinema and its legacy.
Intended to be a one-off, the response to repeat it was so strong from film organisers across the country that in 2012, Scala Beyond was born, with a manifesto and a call-to-arms for people to Fill the Land with Cinemas!
In 2013, the festival took the name Scalarama, chosen to pay tribute to the vast and rich heritage of the Scala but to also be its own thing, a wide-ranging national programme of events that champions independent community-led cinema.
Now every September, film clubs, societies, cinemas as well as local organisations and individuals who are passionate about cinema, unite to celebrate and encourage collective film-watching.
Across the country there are now organising groups in several towns and cities. In Leeds, Scalarama has taken place every September since 2014.
Entirely volunteer-run, our festival is organised by a non-hierarchical collective of like-minded film enthusiasts, and run with a not-for-profit model. We seek to celebrate and support the existing independent film culture of the city, but also give new and old exhibitors a chance to screen the kinds of films they want to see in their community.
History words by Alice Miller