Matinee

Bringing the magic of cinema to those living with dementia, and their companions in Derbyshire's communities.

Matinee

Project overview Why the project matters Matinée provides dementia friendly cinema screenings across Derbyshire for people living with memory challenges, their family and friends. People with a dementia are ‘at higher risk of social isolation through a loss of social networks/ social support… Social isolation… has been associated with the risk of developing dementia.” Reducing … More

Opening Our Doors was a day of workshops and talks developed by Film Hub Wales, aimed at highlighting inclusivity and equality in film exhibition. The event was aimed at exhibitors seeking to capacity build within their own cinemas. It was a tailor-made day of workshops, case studies and discussions by experts and FAN members for FAN members aimed to boost exhibitor confidence in being more inclusive.

Working closely with Film Hub Scotland, and forming part of their Amplify programme, an Opening our Doors day was delivered in January 2019 to support members of the network in understanding and engaging with diverse communities including low-income, BAME, and disabled groups. The event also referenced programming, and marketing for diverse audiences.

The BFI diversity standards task exhibitors with supporting better inclusion in cinema, such as inclusion for those with additional needs and for those who might feel culturally excluded.

Many of us know about the barriers that are in front of us when we talk about building diverse audiences. We don’t really get the time to consider and talk about our options, our fears, talk to our peers and come up with solutions to improve what we offer.

Diversity and Inclusion: an overview - Myriam Mouflih

Race and unconcious bias in film - Umulkhayr Mohamed

How to welcome lower income communities into your cinema - Helen Wright

Dementia-friendly screenings create a slice of normal life for people living with dementia, a chance to experience film in a relaxed and supported environment. Cinemas across the UK are providing screenings throughout the year, but Dementia Action Week in May is an opportunity to highlight these events, and commit to taking one action to being more dementia-friendly.

Into Film Resources: Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is an extremely important issue with young people, and film can be a wonderful tool for helping them explore their feelings and broach difficult subjects. Thought-provoking films can allow young people to discuss the many difficult and complex issues associated with mental wellbeing in an accessible way. Using film can help develop emotional … More

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago. The event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.

Loneliness

Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.

Read more here.

Mental Health and Cinema

Mental Health Awareness Week shines a light on mental health experiences. Often misrepresented, mental health stories on screen can add to stigma around mental health conditions. films can also present opportunities to raise awareness, support education and broaden understanding about mental health experiences, and ignite important discussions about how we look after each other. Find some highlighted films and events on this page, along with resources to support the wellbeing of cinema audiences.

Online films

We have provided some links to some interesting films below. If you are a filmmaker who works with themes of mental health and have work online, for example on your website, YouTube or Vimeo, you can let us know about it by completing our contact form here.

Online cinema ideas

Online initiatives can help people and communities to connect and support people experiencing mental health problems. There are some resources included here for getting started with running events online. 

Could you:

  • set up a watch party and have a chat on Zoom/Skype after the film?
  • run an online drawing, poetry or drama workshop, using a film as a theme?
  • buddy up individuals to have a chat online each week about a short or feature film they’ve seen?

Film ideas and resources

Every Mind Matters Campaign
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Guide to Online Film Clubs
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Learn how to plan and run an online workshop
read more
Mental Health Foundation: Mental Health Awareness Week
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MHFA Mental Health Resources: Remote Working
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March Network: Creative Isolation
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Film + TV Charity: Mental Health Community
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Using film screenings to raise public awareness of mental health
read more
Into Film Resources: Mental Wellbeing
read more
5 Documentaries About Depression & Mental Health Conditions That Have Helped Move The Conversation Forward
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The State of Mental Health
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Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival
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Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival
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Film: Final Ascent: The Legend Of Hamish McInnes (PG)
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Mind: Information and Support
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Minds on Film Index
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Mental health facts and statistics
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Film: The Hours (12)
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Film: Madeline's Madeline (15)
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11 Films For Teaching Children’s Mental Health Week
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BBC Teach: Mental Health and Wellbeing teaching resources
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Cinematic Representations of Mental Illness: Melancholia/ The Girl on the Train / Three Colours: Blue
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Mental Health Toolkit for Employers
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Black and Minority Ethnic communities faced with double the levels of discrimination
read more
YoungMinds: Fighting for young people's mental health
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Film: Irene's Ghost (PG)
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BFI Player FREE archive film: A Modern Guide to Health
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Film: Eighth Grade (15)
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Into Film Resources: Mental Wellbeing
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Whole Picture Programme - Pioneering action for better mental health
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Film report - Screening madness: A century of negative movie stereotypes of mental illness
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Mental Health for All by Involving All | Vikram Patel | TED Talks

MHFA: Supporting your mental health while working from home

People affected by dementia often have to give up the things they love due to inaccessible and unsupportive environments. This includes visiting a cinema.

Cinemas have an important part to play in tackling the social and economic impact of dementia, by allowing people living with dementia to continue to participate in entertainment. Our new cinema guide, produced in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society and UK Cinema Association, is designed to help cinemas improve their accessibility and become more dementia-friendly.

People living with dementia should be able to live the life they want to lead in their communities, irrespective of their condition. This will only be achieved with greater awareness, understanding, and support for those impacted by dementia. Becoming a dementia-friendly organisation means providing the opportunities to help every person with dementia continue to do the things they want to do and cinemas are central to this aim.

From your first family trip to the big screen to seeing the latest blockbusters with friends as a teenager, film is an immersive experience which can leave a profound and lasting impact on an individual. It can promote activity and stimulation of the mind; be an important tool for reminiscence, and is often associated with relaxation, engagement and, above all, enjoyment. By developing an understanding of dementia, cinemas can make a huge difference to people living with dementia.

This guide gives best practice advice on how to run dementia-friendly screenings and shares successful case studies from organisations already running. It aims to spread awareness of dementia-friendly screenings and encourages cinemas of all sizes to get involved.

We have also prepared a dementia friendly survey to assist with gathering data at your screenings.

Access the guide, along with further resources in the downloads section.

Technology to the endangered language rescue?

Looking at what’s working to help endangered and threatened languages, we address technology: what kind of technologies are being used, which can empower people to take action, and which are having an impact on the numbers of speakers.