Film / News
New documentary tells story of Bristol cinema brought back to life
Bristol filmmaker Arthur Cauty’s documentary The Big Picture will have its world premiere at the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival.
The feature-length documentary tells the story of the Bristol Megascreen’s former life as the IMAX, the decade it spent unused and forgotten, and the community-backed restoration that brought it back to life.
The Megascreen, located within Bristol Aquarium, now operates as a community space for Bristol’s film lovers and is run by the team behind Forbidden Worlds.
Cauty says the film about the second-largest screen in the South West was “a fairly grassroots affair” with a “very small budget and an even smaller crew”.
Despite the challenges of a smaller scale production, and unexpected disruptions like Cauty catching Covid shortly before filming was due to start, Cauty says that Bristol’s unique film scene means it is generally easier to make films in the city as there is “less gatekeeping, fewer egos and more collaboration”.
Cauty, who is self-taught, has earned various awards for his films including first prize at the world’s largest short-film competition, My RØDE Reel.
The Big Picture’s premiere on May 28 will open the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival. For more information, visit www.forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk
Main photo: Arthur Cauty
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