1 Jun 2026
On the evening of March 26th 2026, a curious crowd of cinema lovers and supportive friends shuffled into the immersive world of ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ that our NTU student film collective, Cine-Somnia, had tailored specially for the wonder and terror that would commence shortly at Bonington Gallery.
To achieve this successful night, many factors were carefully planned and taken care of. Time was taken to find relevant films to premiere which fitted our programme perfectly, relevant directors were contacted and this then led to a completed film programme that was shown on the night. Marketing was another huge factor that took lots of planning and promotion beforehand. Guests were encouraged to attend through social media and calling cards.
Not only this, but appropriate steps were taken on the night to transform guests through a whimsical tunnel into a world filled with bold nostalgic posters, draping fabrics, and decor that really exuded a ‘bedroom core’ aesthetic; complemented by the live band ‘VILLAS, (containing some members of the Film Programming module), who played a combination of original and cover songs fantastically. Dreams began to mould reality, as those active on Tumblr during the 2010s would understand the concept that having a live band in your bedroom is nothing to be understated.
A mix of dream and nightmare goody bags were neatly laid out for guests to choose from as they entered. Guests were able to decorate their own sleep mask from their goody bag, as well as their own worry doll to protect them from the nightmares to come. Hot chocolate sachets or teabags were in each bag as well as dream or nightmare themed stickers too, for guests to take home with them at the end of the night.
Once the seats were filled with anticipation, accompanied by themed refreshments; our two fabulous hosts took to the stage, each dressed as the embodiment of a dream and nightmare. Hannah shimmered and sparkled in shades of pink from her fiery hair to her sequined flares, shielded with a soft throw blanket. Mora embodied the beauty of a clear night sky dressed in the deepest shades of black, highlighted with pops of red and majestically sharp iridescent claws.
Altogether, twelve short films were screened in two separate intervals. The first half dived into a starry night with films about the sky and stars, to nostalgic films leaving people to reminisce! After the interval we took our audience on a journey to more eerie films, from a funny nightmare of a loud eater to frightful films leaving guests’ hearts racing.
The once light-hearted decorations were transformed during the interval into more sinister ones to accompany the nightmares the audience were then ‘welcomed’ into, thanks to ‘VILLAS, changing the vibe with some darker songs being played. Flowers were engulfed in spiders and cobwebs; posters were vandalised and the thoughtfully placed lights dotted around the room were switched to red, rather than the relaxing purple tone they once were.
Once the interlude ended and our brave audience survived the terrifying live-action scares and handmade horrors, it was time for our hosts to wish everyone sweet dreams and nightmares. The team of Cine-Somnia film collective were beckoned to the stage as they took a well-deserved bow, thanking all for supporting our successful student event that was led with fierce passion.
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