After seven years of arthouse, cult, world cinema, trash and a lot of sing-alongs, we’re putting Deptford Film Club into hibernation.
We ran from 2010 to 2016, launching at the Birds Nest with a delicious screening of
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
, and coming slowly to a rest within the loving embrace of New Cross + Deptford Free Film Festival.
The local area now has a very healthy film scene, with two permanent cinemas and an annual film festival. We’re glad we were a part of your lives, and are now busy training the next generation of film programmers. Thanks for watching.
Cinema Forever
!
BLOG: I spent several years feeling wary of Secret Cinema’s immersive cinema experiences. And then I actually went to one – and I really felt they’d got it wrong. But I think I’ve got a solution for them.
More info & trailer →
This month’s imaginary film season looks at the rich world of African musicals, including a 1950s Egyptian classic, autotuned Hausa romance, stoner Ghanaian hip-hop, operatic adaptations, Jacques Demy in Dakar, a South African ‘Grease’ and a Tuareg remake of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’.
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A joyful singalong at St Nicholas Church. Maggie Smith’s Mother Superior asks Deloris to teach in a run-down Catholic school. But can Deloris inspire her class of uninterested students led by a talented-but-cynical soul singer, played by a young Lauryn Hill?
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Two decades after
A Hard Day’s Night
, punk, ska & new-wave bands made the British pop musical relevant, while rock royalty produced leadenly nostalgic flops.
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Deptford has long been a place where independent cinema found a willing audience, with community-led film clubs offering screenings that mainstream multiplexes rarely considered. These grassroots efforts brought arthouse favourites, world cinema gems, and joyful sing-along classics into the heart of south east London, creating shared experiences that went beyond simply watching a movie. The area's cultural character made it fertile ground for such ventures, attracting curious viewers who appreciated bold programming and a sense of local ownership over the films being celebrated.
Running a film club in a neighbourhood like this means more than booking prints and selling tickets. It involves building relationships with venues, nurturing audiences who return month after month, and curating seasons that mix established classics with surprising discoveries. Organisers often blend genres with bit of flair, pairing a 1950s musical with a contemporary trash masterpiece or pairing a romance from a thoughtful community cinema with a cult stoner comedy. The result is a programme shaped by enthusiasm as much as expertise.
Community cinemas contribute something permanent to the cultural fabric of the areas they serve, even after the lights go down. They train new generations of programmers, introduce audiences to unfamiliar traditions from across the globe, and remind local residents that cinema is not just consumption but participation. When a long-running club eventually winds down, the legacy lives on in the audiences it shaped, the friendships it fostered, and the confidence it gave others to start something new.
South east London today enjoys a rich and varied film culture, supported by permanent cinemas alongside annual festivals and pop-up screenings in unexpected venues. That variety did not appear by accident; it grew from years of patient work by dedicated volunteers and passionate cinephiles willing to spend their evenings watching, debating, and sharing recommendations. Whether programming retrospectives, immersive experiences, or simple musical adaptations of familiar stories, the spirit of the community film club continues to shape how this corner of London experiences cinema together.
