Film on campus

February is rarely the most exciting of months, and with dissertations and other end-of-year projects swallowing up a great deal of my creativity, this week I decided to reach into something that has always sat at the centre of my University experience, but one that I’m oddly yet to talk about at length on this blog. I am of course, talking about the University’s incredible film culture, that seems happy to sit bubbling away just under the surface.

As a Film student, a lot of this came to me pretty quickly upon joining up in Freshers’ Week. For those not instantly in the know-how, I thought I’d provide a little overview of what great film-related antics are going on in and around the University right now. It’s actually a pretty exciting time for film on campus!

Firstly, it’s difficult not to breach such a subject without giving The Edge, the University’s student entertainment magazine, another little plug. As Film Editor for both the magazine’s website and print issues, I see a lot of really great film journalism popping up all over the place, relating to everything from contemporary releases, to older efforts and even comment pieces about the filmmakers and stars themselves. If reading about film has ever interested you, or you fancy a student perspective on what’s hitting cinemas soon, grab a copy of The Edge - they’re dotted around our campuses in colourful stands and sometimes we’re even kind enough to give them out in person!

The Edge is extra colourful this month!

Obviously this crosses over nicely into an event I may well have mentioned in a post just before Christmas, but one that is now very much up and running - the very first annual University of Southampton Student Film Festival. Set up by a winning partnership of The Edge and the University’s legendary filmmaking society Wessex Films, the festival is essentially a platform for students to showcase their work to a live audience, and in the process, be nominated for a whole bunch of awards, decided by an expert judging panel.

The first annual University of Southampton Student Film Festival is finally up and running.

Aside from now having a name, the festival also has a date - 15th March - so if you’re interested in immersing yourself in the University’s great film-making culture, pop along for the screening (doors open on Avenue Campus at 6:45pm). If you’re feeling brave, maybe even submit a film yourself! There are plenty of details available on Facebook and on posters and flyers being circulated around campus as we speak, or just drop a line to film@theedgesusu.co.uk if you have any major questions. The University’s entire film culture, from FilmSoc to the academic Film Department themselves are all chipping in, so it should hopefully be a great celebration of film on campus.

Lastly then, no appreciation of the silver screen is complete without a huge shout-out to the amazing folks at Union Films - the University’s very own student-run cinema. This week I was lucky enough to nab a ticket to their midnight screening of ace superhero comedy Deadpool, on the very night of its worldwide release, and couldn’t think of a better way to see the film for the first time. Tickets are cheap, the film selection is on-point, the atmosphere is always lively, and the volunteers always know how to put on a great show. Who needs the Odeon, eh?

Union Films’ midnight screening of Deadpool was certainly a hit!

So as you can see, the University’s film culture is thriving now more than ever. Whether it’s our academic department still holding strong as #1 in the country, our student filmmakers and critics showing off a whole range of varied talents with Wessex Films’ and The Edge’s backing, or even our student cinema being one of the finest places to catch a new release in all of Southampton, film on campus is the biggest it’s ever been.

At the risk of sounding like a cheesy advert, whether you love to write about, create or simply sit back and watch films, the University has you covered, and I couldn’t be more proud of what’s going on to celebrate this.

Ben