Ways to Bring the Cinema to Your Home!
I know a lot of us are at home much more because of everything happening right now and are looking at ways to fill time to ourselves. Streaming sites are our best friends right now but I think it’s important to support smaller films, independent filmmakers and festivals too. A lot of festivals have cancelled because of COVID-19 but many are screening films online! Please support independent filmmakers and platforms where you can; there are a lot of hidden gems to find out there - list below!
BFI Flare Film Festival
This year’s edition of Europe’s biggest queer film festival was set to take place 18-29 March but was sadly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic - however you can still join in online! Sign up to BFI Player for a free 14 day trial and check out the BFI Flare collections amongst a wide selection of other films, many free, some available for a price. There will be more Flare 2020 films added throughout the ‘festival’ and many films from previous editions available. You can get involved online using #BFIFlareAtHome - there will be other extras added too! Check out the BFI Flare website for more info.
CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival)
CPH:DOX has an online programme which includes some fantastic docs. These aren’t available in the UK however check the website to see if they are available in your country! I’ve also been through just to check out the films and add them to my huge to-watch list…I love looking up what films are showing at festivals to see what I can look out for!
Curzon Home Cinema
Over at Curzon Home Cinema, there are some new cinema releases that you can watch from your own room! There are some truly great new titles on there including the stunning Portrait of a Lady on Fire and the wildly unique Dogs Don’t Wear Pants. You can register for free and claim a free welcome film. Most of the films you do have to pay for but there are some discounts available too.
Glasgow Short Film Festival
Sadly Glasgow Short Film Festival has been postponed until August but they are showing some of their films online - the last day is tomorrow so jump over to their website quick! It’s a wonderful festival and they truly appreciate all support. If you have been joining in or are planning to, use the hashtag #GSFF20online to share your thoughts and show your support. Check it out over on their website.
IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)
The amazing documentary festival, IDFA, has a massive amount of docs available to watch over on their website! You can watch about 200 films outside of the Netherlands and around 300 if you’re in the Netherlands.
MUBI
You can get 3 months of MUBI for just £1! Adding a new film everyday, MUBI is a brilliant platform for finding an array of hand-picked cinema. For a quid, it is definitely worth checking out. There are cult classics, award winners, films straight from festivals - a wide world of genres and styles just waiting to be watched. To see what’s currently showing, check out their website.
I also recommend checking out BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 as they often have some great films which go under the radar! Channel 4 is currently showing Suffragette, Rafiki and 120 BPM to name just a few great watches. Of course (cheeky shout out to ourselves) you can also watch our Rianne Pictures shorts, web series and feature film here!
Let us know over on our social media channels if you know any more independent online platforms to stream films!
Sophie x
