Soul City Arts presented the Sparkbrook Film Festival, showcasing alternative narratives, classic storytelling, and blockbuster entertainment. Housed in a reclaimed warehouse space in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, it invited audiences into an intimate experience to share a love for local cinema. The aim was to recreate the look, feel, and atmosphere of the cinemas from the past that once thrived in and around Sparkbrook, like the Waldorf and Piccadilly, which served large audiences from the local South Asian communities.
The program offered something for younger folks, parents, and elders alike, with subtitles available for foreign language films. Attendees were encouraged to dress for the occasion for certain films, just as audiences would have in times gone by! Themed food and snacks were also available to purchase before and after screenings.
The festival ran from Friday, 25th October, to Sunday, 27th October, featuring a range of films throughout the weekend, including shorts from independent filmmakers.
We featured, a short documentary by Al jazeera Al – Shifa the crimes they tried to bury followed by claustrophobic drama, Die before you die, co-writen by Ziad Abaza who was in attendance for a Q&A. Also featuring historical drama the message, Rocky IV and Bangladeshi crime thriller Aynabaji.
For those who attended click HERE to leave us some feedback
And for those who missed out, click HERE to stay in touch to here about our monthly SCA Cinema Club
