Talk:Exploding cinema

Removing original research, feel free to add back with references

In the early 1990s it was almost impossible to get a short film screened in London without funding from state agencies backing you, and their screenings were morbid affairs attended by professional administrators and a small clique of insiders. There was no internet and no access to the mainstream media, and most film-makers seemed to spend more time applying for state funding than making films.

The Exploding Cinema was a D.I.Y. reaction to the state monopoly and the pretentious unpopularity of avant garde film. Partly by design and partly by experiment they (re)discovered a form of live cinema cabaret that fused elements of popular cinema, performance art and psychedelic happening. Film makers were encouraged to introduce their work and to answer questions from the audience. If the audience found the work "boring" or "bad" they were encouraged to make better work themselves. The Exploding proved that experimental cinema didn’t have to be a ‘difficult’ art for a tiny clique, it could reach out into the mainstream and find a popular audience.

The Exploding screens any genre or form of short film : narrative drama, D.I.Y. underground film, artists moving image, protest video, pop promos, experimental Super 8, animation, funded professional work, amateur work, anything. The Exploding show is hosted by an MC who introduces the films and invites the filmmakers to present their work. Most shows also include performance or live music, often with an integrated moving image element. Although there is a main projection screen for the programmed screening, the entire venue is also illuminated with projections on every wall and ceiling often extending into the entry halls and connecting chambers. The atmosphere is convivial, the audience is often rowdy and can move freely around the venue.

The collective that runs the screenings is also open access, anyone can join the collective, it’s totally democratic, voluntary, non-profit and all resources are held in common ownership. There are no membership requirements, all you have to do to join the collective, is start coming to the meetings and get involved. Mujinga (talk) 15:02, 6 April 2019 (UTC)