About BIFS

During this 8-week course held at the Duke Of York's we had watched a variety of films and discussed them in the pub across the road. Though we sometimes disagreed on the merits of a film, we did all agree that talking about what we had just seen opened our minds to new perspectives about its content, style and relevance.

And so we decided to start the Brighton International Film Society, with a twin commitment: a focus on world cinema and a post-film discussion with an invited guest speaker.

BIFS was launched with Ken Loach as patron on 2 March, 2005 with the screening of Battleship Potemkin. Each month, BIFS held a screening at the Duke of York’s followed by discussion at a near-by venue. In the first year we screened Battle of Algiers, Peeping Tom, Salo 120 Days of Sodom, Exotica, Fox and his Friends, Match Factory Girl, Xala, The Circle, Portrait of Teresa, To Live and Fire. We have had great speakers come down like Laura Mulvey for Peeping Tom. We had a great sell-out event - the Ken Loach film day with Ken Loach when we screened Land and Freedom and Ae Fond Kiss with Ken staying on for a Q&&A and a post-film discussion. Our post-film discussions have become lively forums, sometimes focussing on the film, sometimes on the filmmaker and sometimes on the issue/milieu.

We won the prestigious BFFS award for Best New Film Society of the Year in March 2006, along with distinction and commendations for various other categories like Best Film Society, Best Website and Best Marketing! In the second year, we screened Time of the Gypsies, Viridiana, His Big White Self, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Walk on Water, An Actor’s Revenge, U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, Temptress Moon, September 11, The Farewell, Ashes and Diamonds and Russian Ark.

The founding committee that is taking BIFS forward to a third year whilst exploring alternative methods to sustain the high quality of programme is as follows:

Read Geetha J.'s interview on City Cinema Scene here