Ipswich Film Society

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David Clare (Chairman)

A WELCOME FROM
THE CHAIRMAN

David Clare
CHAIRMAN

This year is the 79th season of the Film Society, and we are grateful to have as our home the marvellous Film Theatre in the heart of Ipswich�s Corn Exchange building. Not only does our bill of fare offer unbeatable value, but a rich variety of films from around the world.
We strive to maintain a balance between old and newer titles, but inevitably, with the passage of time, this means fewer black and white films, say, than before. Indeed this year, our silent comedy double bill evening is the only presentation in monochrome, aside from Pawel Pawlikowski�s artistically shot Cold War. Nor has it become any easier to source films from past decades with the advent of digital, quite the reverse in fact. Rights tend to lapse or change hands far more quickly, as distributors opt for a short-term deal, mindful no doubt of the accessibility of filmed media undermining their investment. Accessible, yes, but legally, that is another matter, and we must be governed by that.
And so the vast majority of our films come from the current century, or even decade, and only three (Julia, Charlie Bubbles and Day for Night) from the 60s and 70s. The first two are of particular interest: the latter marks the passing of one of our most colourful actors, Albert Finney, and is the one film he directed himself, made at the ebbing of the British New Wave but possessing some of the freewheeling character of films by Richard Lester and Karel Reisz. Julia, on the other hand, is an Oscar-winning Fred Zinnemann production based on Lillian Hellman�s memoirs and garlanded with actors, not least one of our own members, Antony Carrick, as a butler! Day for Night, Truffaut�s affectionate comedy of errors (or should that be Eros?) on a film set, we actually showed in the 1988/89 Season, but it makes for a popular revival.
The rest of the programme carries a potent emotional payload, whether in the sobering dramas of Loveless and A Fantastic Woman, or the moving human portraits of Loving Vincent and Phantom Thread, or indeed the more offbeat ones of I, Tonya, The Shape of Water and Submarine. Locke gives us dark, intimate, edge of seat drama, while Sweet Bean and I Got Life offer more softened tones. The Olive Tree further pushes the emotional spectrum in the direction of whimsy. I am not going to try to draw out any common themes � I hope there aren't any � except that these are all uncommonly good works from the last few years. Our mandate was above all to offer hope in these clouded times.
We hope you will be tempted by our selection of films, and if you wish to join for our fantastic value subscription of �42 (25 and Under �21), can I encourage you to avail yourself of one of our online booking options?. Alternatively, download and print off the application form, and mail it to our Membership Secretary, or collect a copy from the Ipswich Film Theatre, Library, Tourist Office, or a number of other public venues around town.

Apply for Membership and Pay Online
Membership �42.00 - 25 & Under �21.00
Guest �5.00 - 25 & Under �2.50
Ipswich Film Society would like to thank Ipswich
Film Theatre for the continued use of the facilities