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Reel ‘Em In’s debut film night

18 Apr 2024

On the 11th of April, cinephiles gathered in the heart of Nottingham at the Bonington Gallery for ‘The Night of the Red Herring’ held by our student film collective Reel Em In. This evening was the product of our Film Programming module at Nottingham Trent University where we were given the opportunity to build a film night from the ground up, taking on various responsibilities such as curating the film programme, which involved undertaking research into relevant short films, contacting directors and putting together the programme making sure the sequence of the films flowed. Other roles included event setup and organisation, as well as marketing and promotion.

Promising a night of crime and mystery shorts, the event was a success with a substantial number of people in attendance. The auditorium was set up for a fully immersive experience, decorated with caution tape, a chalk figure, some crime scene treats (edible body parts!), and a rogues’ gallery, whilst a pianist sat at the keyboard playing his graceful chords as everybody entered. The film programme was accompanied by our host, who, as on theme as the rest of the event, was dressed head to toe as a detective, working as the commentary and driving the interactive crime mystery we staged, which gave our audience the opportunity to engage in it.

Our programme consisted of eleven different films shown in two instalments. From a twisted family who will do anything to access their inheritance, to beautifully curated noir animations and dystopian tales of murder and a whole bucketful more each film fell under the sweeping umbrella of crime, noir, and mystery. One of the best consequences of dealing with shorts is that the films were made by independent directors from all over the world, allowing us to introduce their work to a new audience of film fans all the way over here in our city of Nottingham.

In short, this evening allowed us to celebrate short films with one another and collectively revel in the thrill of the unknown. On behalf of Reel Em In, we appreciate everybody who was in attendance, and can only hope you enjoyed the night as much as we enjoyed organising it.

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