Jordan O'BrienCloughmills in Northern Ireland is reeling from the success of winning a UK-wide competition for cinema projection equipment to bring back the ‘magic of the movies’ to village life.
The community entered the competition supported by BFI Neighbourhood Cinema and Saville Audio Visual and were eventually chosen as winners of an NEC 4000 lumen projector with Blu-ray player and Saville Proflex amplifier housed in a secure mobile cabinet, along with a Draper screen and speaker system.
The equipment was presented to the Cloughmills Community Action team by Hugh Odling-Smee, project manager of Film Hub NI and Saville Belfast conference and live events manager Sheridan Pennell.
The presentation took place at a social event for volunteers in the Cloughmills Old Mill centre who were able to enjoy a preview screening of the award winning animation Song of the Sea, courtesy of Studiocanal.
Film Hub NI is part of the BFI’s UK-wide network designed to help build audiences for film.
As a long time supplier of equipment for film and video cinema venues, Saville won the contract to support local organisations across the UK wishing to set up or enhance their cinema facilities through the BFI Neighbourhood Cinema programme.
At the presentation, Hugh Odling-Smee said: “I am delighted to support this local initiative. Film Hub NI is helping the BFI to put cinema-going at the centre of cultural life and this project in Cloughmills will help local people to see and enjoy a more diverse range of films.”
Chairperson of the Cloughmills group, Patrick Frew comments: “We would like to thank the BFI and Saville for this equipment. It will provide a springboard for developing greater social interaction across all generations in the community.”
Ben Luxford, BFI Head of Audiences adds: “We want to encourage communities to come together and enjoy a wide range of films locally, no matter where they live in the UK.
“We’re delighted to support Cloughmills Community Action Group to bring the collective experience of watching films back into the heart of this rural village.”
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