In 1925, a pioneering group of visionaries—including Ivor Montagu, Sidney Bernstein, and Iris Barry—founded the first film society in London, creating a space where avant-garde films, often overlooked by commercial cinemas, could be celebrated and shared with the public.
Now, in 2025, we mark a century of community cinema with a year-long celebration of its rich history and ongoing impact. Starting in April 2025, Cinema For All will lead the way in commemorating this incredible milestone with a dynamic program focused on film education, networking, and promotion.
Join us as we honour 100 years of film societies and their vital role in shaping the world of cinema, both on and off the screen.
Want to get involved?
We’re very excited to announce that Cinema For All has been successful in our application for support from the BFI ...
Celebrate a century of community cinema with Cinema For All at the Millennium Gallery on 20th September 2025! Early Bird tickets ...
We’re excited to share that as part of our 2025 celebrations of 100 years of community cinema, we’re making ...
2025 marks 100 years of volunteer-led cinema and as part of our celebrations we’re asking organisations from around the ...
A nation wide festival of community cinema running from October – December 2025, showcasing the inspirational and innovative programming of volunteer-led cinemas over the past 100 years. There will be a curated menu of titles available to screen as part of the festival and a £200 bursary on offer for each screening.
Commemorate this incredible mile stone at the 100 Years Gala, the headline event of our centenary celebrations. The Gala will take place in Sheffield on 20th September 2025, with a very special Film Society of the Year Awards, our short documentary premiere, special guests, and more!
Celebrate a century of community cinema in style with our range of unique and limited edition merch
We’ve asked organisations from around the UK to vote for their 10 favourite films. These votes will then be compiled to produce a list of the 100 greatest films of all time, as voted for by the community cinema movement, which will be announced at our celebratory event in the summer and in Film Stories.
The volunteer-led cinema movement is full of 100 stories, and we’re working on a documentary short to highlight its roots and demonstrate some of the amazing work done in the last 100 years.
We’re excited to be hosting the 100 Years of Community Cinema Exhibition at Bloc Projects from 16th – 20th September in Sheffield with a special open day ahead of the 100 Years Gala on 20th! The exhibition will feature a curated selection of archive materials and highlighted stories from the last 100 years of volunteer-led film exhibition