So this is a little post to coincide with a short film I’m producing (Screen 3, Row B, Seat 7), which I’m sure you’ll have heard about if you follow me on socials! If you haven’t, you can find out more about it on Twitter or Instagram @3B7Film or on the website http://www.3b7film.com! If you’re new to WTCR or just haven’t heard about us, we’re trying to make an amazing, uplifting short film that celebrates film itself, the cinemas, and LGBTQ+ relationships. If you would consider either donating if you can or sharing with your friends and family, the entire team and I would really appreciate it! Here’s a teaser poster for you!

This particular post is mostly supplied by readers of the site and friends of mine, which saves me from actually having to do the heavy lifting this time…I see this as an absolute win. I put some feelers out and asked for some anecdotes about people’s favourite cinema experiences. I got some really, really good responses which I’m going to share with you all, although some lovely words are anonymous. Thank you to everyone for helping out with this and helping to share the message of our short film.

Our first story comes from a When The Credits Roll reader-of-honour, Maddy from fivethreeninety! Also starring in our short film, here’s what Maddy had to say about her favourite cinema experience:

“My favourite film experience was Arrival. I saw it in the smallest screen in the cinema I worked at; and was utterly blown away, to the point where I had tears streaming down my face for the last half hour of the film – not because it was a tear jerker, but because of how aware I was that I was watching one of my favourite films for the first time. The story is sublime, the performances are stellar, (yes Amy Adams should have at least been NOMINATED), the score gives me chills and the cinematography is exquisite. Denis Villeneuve created a beautiful, emotive masterpiece. Many of my favourite films are ones from my earlier years or ones I discovered at home on my own screen, so to experience Arrival on the big screen, in the dark, with surround sound and a box of popcorn clutched in my shaking hands was a dream.”

Honestly what a mood. Arrival‘s also one of my favourite films and cinema experience. #JusticeForAmyAdams

Our next cinema experience is from someone who would like to remain anonymous.

“My favourite cinema experience would have to be Avengers: Endgame, as obvious as that might sound. It was the midnight screening, the cinema was packed with adoring fans, people who were all just as excited as me to see how the 11 year long story was going to end. And it was three hours of absolute chaos in that screening. We all laughed, cheered, screamed, cried, and watched, jaws dropped, as our favourite heroes took to the screen (some for the final time). It was cathartic, in a way, but I know that I will never, ever forget the experience of seeing that film. I saw it another couple of times at the cinema with some friends and the excitement never dwindled. But that first midnight screening is grounded in my memory forever. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Honestly…this is a strong contender for mine. The sheer euphoria of seeing that final battle…an unmatched feeling. Even seeing that poster with the release date gets me excited. Brb while I go and listen to Portals.

The third and final cinema memory I’m going to share today is also an anonymous one, but the relatability of it…yeah it’s a killer.

“I’ve never been more happy to be at the cinema than when I was watching Moonlight, mostly so I could hide the tears that I was shedding in the darkness of the room. The film is so beautiful and so cared-for in its creation that it’s hard not to be affected by it. I didn’t really know what it was about when I saw it, just that it had been getting awards buzz and some really great reviews. So I went and saw it and was not ready for what happened. Moonlight is a simple enough story, but its the execution that really takes you by the throat and knocks the wind out of you. The acting is superb, the writing is just so gorgeous, and the music…hearing that on the cinema’s sound system is more than worth the cost of the ticket. I got that feeling like when you know you’re watching one of the best films you’ll ever see. It’s so real and raw that it feels like you’re watching someone’s private memories and that you’re intruding. But you also can’t look away. And I think films that make us feel are the reason we go to the cinema, whether it’s intimate dramas or multi-universe blockbusters, emotions are the drive of movies and they’re always the experiences I’ll never forget.”

Honestly I felt every single word of that. Watching Moonlight is akin to a transcendent, religious experience and one that I will feel in my bones until I die. Dramatic? Perhaps, but it also shows the power of that film, and of film in general.

So there are some cinema memories from people I know. Cinema can touch people’s lives forever and that is what our short film wishes to celebrate and champion. Cinemas in the UK are going to be opening soon and, when it is safe to do so and you feel like you want to, I encourage everyone to go and reflect on the one-of-a-kind experience that only comes from going to the cinema.

So what are your favourite cinema memories? Any movie in particular that sticks out? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter! Actually, why don’t you tweet @3B7film and we’ll retweet some of our favourites! Maybe I’ll do a follow-up with some more cinema memories!

And you can check out our crowdfunding page here!

Have a lovely day and stay safe everyone! 🙂