Being a film fan in the English regions can often feel frustrating. Unlike the music industry or even the literary world the talent you so admire rarely visits. That’s not to say national and international faces aren’t up for discussing their work with keen audiences - they are - however the industry itself can sometimes feel cursed by an inequality divide regarding opportunity and location. A quick Google search regarding film events in the UK tells you all you need to know: those involved in bringing movies to audiences seem to think that they stop existing altogether once you leave London. Hell, some have even gone so far as to moan about the abundance of events that happen right on their doorstep. Heaven forbid they move out of the capitol... 

This has gone on for so long that change felt all but impossible, until recently. Thanks to a handful of determined and innovative film programmers, the UK’s regional cinema scene is currently thriving. In fact, just last week independent picture house HOME in Manchester celebrated its most successful week on record and topped off this jam-packed week by hosting a post-film Q&A with You Were Never Really Here Director Lynne Ramsay, one of her only audiences events outside of the Glasgow Film Festival. More impressive still is that this type of film add-on activity isn’t rare for the venue; with Directors, Actors, Producers and Musicians regularly visiting for similar events, from big name stars to tomorrow’s ones-to-watch. 

They’re not the only ones doing this either. Frustrated fans have even taken on the role of event programmers to help bridge this equality gap and provide an eager audience with something they’re sorely missing. On the cusp of celebrating its third year (or season as they like to call it), Pilot Light TV Festival invites a handful of established and emerging stars to venues across Manchester to celebrate the continued success of small screen entertainment. The same team also host regular (and regularly sold out) Retro And Dangerous Film Screenings of cult classics, each with a celebratory and raucous vibe typically reserved for airings of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room - and before you ask, yes, they’ve hosted that one too and audiences loved it.

What do these examples of regional success tell us? Well, they quantify something that people who live here already know: that audiences for this type of content not only exist but they’re actively passionate about it and bored of waiting for it to arrive. Proof that there’s endless scope for events of a similar ilk and if Distributors don’t take notice soon, fans aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands and do it themselves.

Full Disclosure: I also work for HOME in Manchester but that doesn't mean I've sugar-coated the work do or made it seem more relevant than it is. They do lots for regional film fans and its all good, regardless of perspective.

Do you think we need more film events in the regions? Let me know in the comment section below!

The jury’s in. The debate’s over. In fact, there was no debate, just a whole load of common sense. If you’re in a cinema, you can’t really justify being on your mobile phone. That’s that. It’s time to face facts when it comes to those who choose a dark room in which to check their empty inbox or send cat memes to their mates. If you’ve made the decision to leave the comfort of your own home in favor of a multiplex or indie screening room, then you’ve temporarily lost the ability to constantly check that mini-torch you keep in your pocket. Sorry about that. 

Actually, is sorry the right word? Surely it’s not that much to ask. Two hours of your undivided attention in exchange for something you’ve voluntarily paid money to see in a venue that comes with a few specific social rules? You wouldn’t visit a library to try out your new fog horn yet when it comes to mobile phones and cinemas, people seem to think they’re the exception to the rule. Maybe it’s a generational thing. Maybe it’s a terrifying sign of how knackered our attention spans have become. Either way, it’s an irritating trait that shows no sign of going anywhere.  

Cinemas do little to battle it. While multiplexes go all infrared black-ops policing would-be picture pirates, they seem considerably less bothered about doing anything about this regular experience-ruiner. Some have even gone so for as to question whether or not it’s even a bad thing, with AMC head-honcho Adam Aron suggesting the chain launch ‘texting friendly’ screenings - a desperate attempt to keep paying punters on seats that instead sounds like a worrying lack of understanding of their own core audience. 

Thankfully, some venues lead by example. Like die-hard film hub The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. These guys have a pretty no-bullshit approach when it comes to mid-film distractions. “If you are a person who likes to talk, text or use your cell phone during a movie, we are not the place for you!” explains their website, shortly before stating that all offenders will be unceremoniously booted. 

It’s hard to have much sympathy for distraction-addicts who break every cinephile's cardinal rule but it’s still worth asking why this even happens in the first place. Perhaps it’s an unexpected side-effect from a generation born into a world of readily available content, maybe movie marketers are contributing to the issue, selling introspective head-scratchers to audiences expecting mile-a-minute romps or it could be that we’re all a little more addicted than we’d like to admit? Whatever the reason, if a phoneless, chatter-free couple of hours is too much for you to stomach, perhaps the cinema isn't for you. 

This blog is now on Nerdly.co.uk, take a look here!

Yes, I did have an unfortunate experience with someone using a phone in a cinema recently, have you? Let me know in the comments below!