In exciting news for lovers of fine cinema across the Northern Rivers, the Regent Film Society has just launched at Murwillumbah’s historic Regent Cinema.
The Echo caught up with curator Peter Castaldi to find out more. He said the first screening will be happening in the third week of September, and the program would be interactive.
‘I’ll select up to 10 titles each month, and then everyone who’s become a member will vote on which film they want to watch. No one will find out what the film actually is until they turn up to see it!’
Mr Castaldi said the programming would be high quality and eclectic, presenting an alternative to mainstream fare.
‘Yes, completely across the board, from much-loved classics to music documentaries to obscure and unknown gems, in all languages, right across the history of cinema.
‘The idea is to have fun, and make it a little bit challenging. I’ll present all the films and then hang around, so we can have a tipple in the bar afterwards and chat on for as long as we like. It’s as much a social as a cultural event.’
Peter Castaldi will be drawing on his long history as a critic, screen educator and cinema enthusiast to find the films, borrowing from great archives and screen libraries from fellow film societies across the country.
There are already 70 foundation members signed up, with new members welcome to join.
‘There’s going to be sixteen events across each year,’ Mr Castaldi explained. ‘Twelve monthly screenings, and then four special events. With the special events, I’m going to line up some exclusive premieres and the like, because I’ve still got lots of connections in film distribution, particularly in the independent sector.
‘I’ve just finished programming a short three day film festival, which will happen in the middle of November, and I was able to get an Australian premiere and eight regional premieres into that.’
Picture palace
Mr Castaldi said the connection with Murwillumbah’s Regent Cinema was exciting because it’s one of the original picture palaces, and at one time the largest cinema outside Sydney, with 1,000 seats.
The Regent has recently been completely restored by its latest owners, including the bar, seats and digital projection.
‘The Regent Film Society will be one of very few in the country that still runs in a real cinema,’ he said. ‘I can guarantee you’ll have a great time!’
Mr Castaldi said that while the new film society wouldn’t have the budget to fly stars and film makers in, ‘we can certainly get them up on Zoom on the screen for a Q&A.’ Future plans includes a film festival for the Regent.
He sees the new film society venture as contributing to the new ‘slow cinema’ movement. ‘It’s basically anti-multiplex,’ he said. ‘The multiplex has its place; loud, whiz bang, top of the line, Hollywood-style entertainment, but there are more and more people, across generations, who are much more interested in a slow and easy take on cinema, going back in time.
‘It’s nice to be reminded that no matter what’s going on, cinema as an experience shows us that a lot of this has happened before and we survived.’
A good ride
As far as the prospective films to be screened, Peter Castaldi sees his role as the Regent Film Society’s curator as, ‘Trust me, and I’ll take you on a good ride. If the ride is themed, great. If it’s a roller coaster, great. If it’s a hall of mirrors, great!’
Castaldi has spent most of his life as a movie lover, and his passion remains undimmed. ‘When I was working at the Valhalla, we programmed 3,000 films a year and we basically watched them all, and then when I was working as a critic, I was watching 500 films a year minimum.
‘I got hooked on cinema when I was about six years old, and have stayed hooked ever since!’
Membership of the Regent Film Society for a year is $99 for sixteen films, which will screen on the third Wednesday of every month, with the bar open and food also available at the Regent.
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