We asked a number of the people who were involved in the foundation of the Wimbledon Film Club for their thoughts twenty years on. They are: Professor Johnjoe McFadden, our first Chair; Peter Cargin, a longtime stalwart of the British film society movement and WFC Treasurer for many years; and Clare Collins, who stepped down as Chair at the end of last season.
Johnjoe McFadden
1) What motivated you to get involved in the Wimbledon Film Club?
JM: At the time, there was only an Odeon in Wimbledon showing the usual blockbusters. We felt that the area needed a venue for art/foreign/classic films so we set up WFC to show more alternative cinema. We also hoped that WFC would become a convivial club where alternative film fans would meet up to discuss film.
PC: How time goes ! I did not believe that it was twenty years ago that the Wimbledon Film Club started. I was contacted by Johnjoe McFadden and asked if I would go to a meeting of some people who wanted to start a film society. I had only recently retired from the British Film Institute after some 25 years responsible for film societies. I went to the meeting and was asked if I would help which I did. I had previously helped to start the Richmond Film Society in 1963 before I joined the BFI.
CC: In 2005 there was no independent arthouse cinema in Wimbledon. I was lucky enough when I was a teenager to live near the country’s first independent arthouse cinema outside London – set up as a National Film Theatre initiative to provide access to arthouse and foreign films to people living “in the provinces”. That cinema was a big part of my life. So when I saw an ad in my kids’ school newsletter (placed by the Club founder Johnjoe Mcfadden) asking if anyone was interested in Wimbledon having a film society, I couldn’t resist going along. I really liked the idea of young people and residents of all ages having something like that on our doorstep, rather than having to travel into central London. We wanted to ‘bring the BFI to Wimbledon’.
Monica Dolan and Carol Morley at the screening of Typist Artist Pirate King in 2024
2) What remains memorable for you about the club?
JM: I guess the early years when WFC was new and exciting and we were learning as we went along, and doing the whole show, putting up the screen, running the bar, setting up the projection etc. I also remember many great guests along to talk about their films, or the adaptations of their books, such as when A.S. Byatt came along for the screening of Angels and Insects and we had a long line of people queuing along the Broadway to get into the Polka Theatre where we first screened. Our move to the Curzon was also memorable as the screening was so much easier in a cinema environment, and the seats were a lot more comfortable.
PC: Using the Polka Theatre in the early days was a bit of a challenge as we had to set up things in the auditorium as well as in the theatre. It was however nice to be able to have our own social area with drinks, which also meant we made a bit of money this way.
CC: That it has managed to create a warm community space where people feel really welcome, and part of something – this was particularly important during and after the pandemic; while also showcasing high quality and sometimes little known films, and interesting guest speakers. For me personally, being involved in the club’s programming of films and guest speakers has really reignited the interest in cinema that I had when I was young. There have been stressful times along the way, as with any small volunteer-run venture, but also a lot of laughs and memorable cinematic moments.
WFC Pub Quiz 2019
3) What are your thoughts for the future, not just for the WFC but for community cinema more generally?
JM: Obviously, the situation is different with a thriving Curzon cinema in Wimbledon but i believe that film-lovers still enjoy the conviviality of a club environment where they can meet some of the same, and also different, people, at each screening and talk about the films. The added value of having guest speakers will always be a draw. Online viewing is also a challenge but there’s no better way to see a movie that in the cinema with a great audience! Here’s to the next 20 year! Good Luck!!
CC: While almost anything can be accessed on streaming services these days, there is just too much choice to keep up – so the curation role of a film club is really valuable. The experience of sitting together in the dark without distractions and watching a great film, and chatting about it with other people, remains precious. And in a world where loneliness is on the increase and is one of our biggest public health challenges, warm and welcoming community spaces such as film clubs are more important than ever.
Peter Cargin, Clare Collins and Liz Woodroffe at the 2019 Film Society of the Year Awards