The celluloid era of filmmaking will be celebrated at a new event being held in Leicester, on Sunday, 29th October 2023, by experts from De Montfort University’s Cinema and Television History Institute (CATHI). 

The CATHI team are working closely with film collectors, cinema lovers and vintage television enthusiasts from across the country. The aim is to protect vulnerable film collections held privately in the United Kingdom, by raising awareness of preservation within the film collecting community, and by launching a national archiving scheme to document private collections.   

Professor Justin Smith, Director of CATHI, said: ‘There is a hidden treasure trove of film and television believed to have been lost or wiped, or which didn’t make the transition to video and digital formats, that private collectors and enthusiasts cherish and preserve.’

Film is Fabulous! will take place at Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre. It will feature an exclusive documentary screening, appearances by special guests and historical artefacts from private film collections.

Justin concluded: ‘This event aims to celebrate the work of film collectors, to identify and protect rare material, and to begin the task of documenting this hidden history of our moving image heritage for future generations.’

De Montfort University’s Cinema and Television History Institute (CATHI) is home to a growing number of unique collections, including the Hammer Script Archive, the Sir Norman Wisdom Collection, and the Michael and Tony Klinger Archive.

Film is Fabulous! Preserving film treasures for future generations.

3rd October 2023