Concord’s Film Society Celebrates 25 Anniversary

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Concord’s Film Society celebrates their 25 anniversary. 
Photo Courtesy of Google

This year marks the 25 anniversary of the Concord Film Society. Luckily for the people of Concord, the movies expected to show this semester include movies that will be different, yet interesting. 

    According to an email sent by Dr. Charles Brichford, sponsor of the Concord Film Society, some of the films being presented “will be films that have made a major impression on our viewers over the years.” A good portion of the movies being played this semester will also be foreign films. The list contains films from seven different countries such as France, Italy, Germany, North America, Canada, and even Brazil. A total of 11 films are to be played this semester. The first film that was presented this semester was a French film called A Prophet, directed by Jacques Andiard.

    The first film to ever be shown by the Concord Film Society was the 1977 movie Eraserhead, directed by David Lynch. The film was projected in the Student Center Ballroom, which Brichford saw as an unfavorable place to show the movie. This was due to the Ballroom having bad lighting, no place to put the movie projector, and a problem with the echoes produced throughout the room. Eventually, the Concord Film Society started showing movies in room 237 of the Administration Building. As DVDs became more prominent from offering high quality movies, the Concord Film Society started using them.  

    Other films that are to be shown throughout the semester include Tales from the Gimli Hospital, Matewan, and the documentary Hearts and Minds. Most notably, a double feature of Nosferatu will be shown on Halloween. One version will be the original 1922 black and white silent film, and the other version will be the 1979 color remake. The Film Society will close the semester out with sort of a twist as the last film will be Hobo with a Shotgun. 

    “I’m really excited to see some stuff I’ve never heard of this semester,” says Concord Senior, Brady Meadows, President of the Concord Film Society.

    The goal that the Concord Film Society strives for is finding films that are unusual to the viewers in ways that the films aren’t predictable. Brichford says, “I look for things that are going to be unusual and have gotten critical appraise.” The Film Society usually tries to get movies that are out of the mainstream and offer different experiences. Meadows says, “The Film Society’s not about showing what’s popular.”

    The Concord Film Society being the student initiative it is today, was formed by a group of students to begin with. During the year it was formed, Brichford was new to Concord University and couldn’t be on any committees. With the technology available at that time, the Concord Film Society would show movies by projecting them from 16 millimeter movie reels. Students who had to be projectionists had tasks like changing reels and fixing breaks in the film.

    The student government association also started to give the Concord Film Society money each year to help out. With the money given each year, the Film Society bought a new projection system and a new sound system. To this day, the Concord Film Society has helped establish a great repertoire of films on DVD. They are all located in the Concord University Library, and can always be checked out by faculty members or students.

    Sometimes the films that the Film Society presents can offer educational value to the viewers. There are professors who will offer extra credit to students who go to a viewing and write a short paper about their experience. Brichford considers the Film Society showings as resources for teaching classes. After all, the Concord Film Society always allows time after the viewings for discussions about the film. 

    Meadows can recall times when the discussions would go on for at least 30 minutes. However, there are going to be people who may choose to overlook an event such as the showing of a film by the Concord Film Society. Brichford thinks that people who decide not to go “are not willing to take a chance on something that’s not already determined.” This can go to show that any film being presented by the Concord Film Society is doing more than offering a different kind of cinematic experience. It’s also offering the viewers the possibility of learning something new.

    Dates and showing times can be found on flyers posted in various buildings on the Concord University campus. There is no charge to go see any of the movies shown. All showings take place in room A237 of the Adminstration Building. People who are interested can also receive information about the upcoming viewings by e-mailing Dr. Charles Brichford at brichfordc@concord.edu.