Scalarama Leeds

There’s a huge, month-long celebration of DIY, underground and community cinema happening in Leeds this September. Taking inspiration from the legendary Scala Cinema in London, Scalarama is a national initiative dedicated to bringing cinema by anyone, for anyone, everywhere.

The events scheduled for this September highlight the healthy, friendly film scene currently bubbling away in Leeds. Scalarama brings together a raft of established film programmers, curators and exhibitors – alongside some exciting newcomers – who will present bespoke screenings across the city, with many held in non-traditional venues – including museums, social clubs, a chapel, a brewery, and a boat!

Indeed, there’s a DIY ethos central to the whole endeavour, which aims to bring alternative films and alternative film experiences to the people. All that’s really necessary is an audience and a screen. The structure (or lack thereof) provides a safe, interesting space for organisers to get creative and collaborative, and collectively they’ve come up with a programme that includes undersung independents, camp classics and martial arts mayhem alongside mind-bending horror.

Including the opening and closing parties, and a movie-themed quiz at HEART, there are over thirty films and events scheduled for Scalarama Leeds at the time of writing. Among the highlights are a city-spanning Cinema Crawl featuring debut films from the likes of Edgar Wright and James Cameron; Rat Depot present Robin Williams in Danny DeVito’s dark comedy, Death to Smoochy, while Fermented Films have lined up 90s fave Hackers at Northern Monk Refectory.

Lovers of art house and independent cinema will want to check out Over Thinking Cinema’s showing of Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes or lo-fi Cornish chiller Bait which is on a boat at The Dry Dock. How about Spike Lee’s underseen Girl 6 at the Cardigan Arms courtesy of Green Carnation Film Club, or Streetcar Symphony’s rarely screened Peter Seller’s comedy The Wrong Arm of the Law.

Not esoteric enough for you? Static Caravan have lined up a “surreal blast of nuclear anxiety” with the 1982 Human Highway. Bruce Li discovers a hidden stash of gold while scuba diving as Suspicious Sounds Presents The Iron Dragon Strikes Back. Tiger’s Leap’s screening of Bertrand Mandico’s She In Conan promises a violent, female-led, queer sci-fi riff on Conan the Barbarian.

There’s almost a Scalarama screening a day throughout September, with many interactive and social elements designed to foster community in the city – who knows, next year you might be putting on a film yourself.

The deep cuts are breathtaking. Fans of horror movies might be moved to seek out 80s Italian classic Demons presented by Such Sights to Show You, or Hidden Hand’s showing of occult classic Häxan, which is accompanied by an exclusive, one time only performance from underground heavy metal act ‘Werewolves on Wheels’ and pay-as-you-like tarot readings. Meanwhile Queer Fear are at Flamingos Coffee House with 1985’s Fright Night.

From an anniversary showing of Paul Verhoeven’s reclaimed masterpiece Showgirls to Psychotronic Cinema’s presentation of Bob Fosse’s final film, Star 80, we simply don’t have the space to highlight everything on offer. There’s almost a Scalarama screening a day throughout September, with many interactive and social elements designed to foster community in the city – who knows, next year you might be putting on a film yourself.