Gloucester Guildhall boasts a varied programme of music, theatre, comedy, art, dance and, of course, film, with its 100-seat digital screen situated in a cosy oak-panelled former council chamber. Aiming to give the audience the opportunity to experience as diverse a range of films as possible, with a special focus on making less mainstream genres more accessible, the schedule sits art house, independent British and world cinema alongside the very best of the more mainstream releases. Striving as an organisation to cultivate a cinema that the community feel they can interact and engage with, and bring a film programme that people can get excited about to what was once something of a cultural backwater.
Beth Thomas, assistant manager at The Poly in Falmouth, writes about attending the Film Hub South West Annual Members' Forum at Watershed in November 2024.