Sheffield Hallam partners with BFI

4th August 2016

Sheffield Hallam University has partnered with the BFI Film Academy to help develop the next generation of cinema programmers.

The BFI Audience Academy 2016, an intensive one-week residential course in cinema programming for 16-19 year-olds, was delivered by The Showroom Cinema in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University. Students from across the UK had the chance to meet industry experts from the likes of the Odeon, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Glasgow Film Festival and Sensoria, as well as film-makers themselves, to learn about topics such as festivals, programming, distribution, and both commercial and independent cinema. At the end of week, the students were tasked with pitching their ideas for a film season to a panel of experts, including Sheffield Hallam University film lecturer, Martin Carter. The winner of the competition will see part of their film season included in The Showroom's programme in December. Martin Carter delivered a number of the workshops, while five undergraduates from the University worked as mentors on the course (Naomi Dickinson, Beth Knox, Emily Paul, Quintin Plane and Jake Thompson). Martin said: "We have a very strong relationship with the BFI and that has extended to us being a delivery partner on this thought-provoking and practical course. "The Audience Academy will hopefully now go on to inspire and kick-start a number of careers in the film industry - from the delegates who attended to our own undergraduates who mentored on the course." Meabh O'Donovan, Development Manager for The Showroom Cinema, said: "Our partnership with Sheffield Hallam is really important for this course. The mentors provide a valuable resource to the students, as well as being great advocates for the city. "It's also fantastic to have someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Martin involved as a sounding board for the students when they are working on the pitches for their film season ideas."