Awards

Real Institute wins Film Society ‘Oscar’ for second time

Real Institute were announced as the winners of the UK Film Society award for the “Best Marketing” campaign, at a prestigious ceremony in the National Film Theatre, London on Saturday May 10th 2003.

Against stiff competition Real Institute (last year’s Film Society of the Year) took a top award at the British Federation of Film Society (BFFS) Film Society of the Year awards – the film society ‘Oscars’.

The award was presented by, Asif Kapardia, the director of last year’s hit film, The Warrior. Dudley Smithers, the Chairman of BFFS, said, “Real Institute has shown great flair and originality in its marketing”.

Real Institute undertakes ‘standard’ marketing to a very high standard. But what particularly impressed the judges was the special campaign it ran for Wales Cinema Day (to project previously unseen footage of an, allegedly suppressed, Super 8 film of the disastrous Voshkod 2 space mission onto the dark side of the moon) – a campaign which demonstrated the inspired lunacy for which Real Institute are now famous. The project received a huge amount of press, TV and radio coverage and significant interest in their web site. more info on moon project

David Phillips, Chief Executive BFFS said, “Real Institute’s entirely original approach to marketing shows that it pays to be innovative – the amount of coverage it received was phenomenal”.

Real Institute wins Best Film Society UK

Real Institute wins 'Best Film Society' after only eighteen months in business. 

The BFFS (British Federation of Film Societies) awarded this national prize during a presentation ceremony at the National Film Theatre, London on Saturday 10 March 2002.

Far from the traditional image of a film society, Real Institute claims to bring a breath of odd smelling air to the North Wales culture scene. Since its creation in September 2001, Real Institute has run regular 'alternative film nights' (complete with eccentric compere, live music and weird adverts), commissioned new films and organised special events including headlining the 2001 Llandudno Fringe Festival with a multi-media extravaganza 'Malice in Wonderland'.

Real Institute is an entirely voluntary not-for-profit organisation aiming to bring great film and special events to North Wales together with opportunities for emerging filmmakers and artists. The 'Best Film Society' award recognises this work and its originality.

Asked where the money came from for such ventures, Germaline Puddlesuck of the Real Institute collective said "We see fund-raising as a creative challenge and this has contributed to our success. Its unique initiatives and fun ideas like our 'Real Adverts' that really got us noticed. We don't accept money from Bill Gates, any world dictator or human-rights violator, people who throw stones at other people, Pop Idols, The Arts Council of Scotland, pirates and disposable razor manufacturers."

Real Institute forged a number of 'no-strings' sponsorship agreements; a donation from local carpet firm 'Crown Carpets' helped with the purchase of a second-hand cinema screen, for example, and sponsorship in kind from film producers 'Ffilmiau'r Bont' gives access to professional editing facilities and local graphic design company 'View Design' provide Real Institute with free publicity printing. 

All screen advertising is produced through the 'Real Adverts' scheme. Businesses, organisations and individuals buy an 'advert' and Real Institute finds a filmmaker to make it. The catch is that total editorial control and creative freedom resides with the filmmaker. The buyer takes a big risk - the advert may not even mention his product! Bizarrely, this scheme has been a great success, and slots for adverts are overbooked.

Since opening, Real Institute has screened over fifty features, short-films and special commissions from around the world including Bergman's medieval allegory 'The Seventh Seal' (selected by an audience vote using the Real Institute voting booths), Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf's 1998 debut film 'The Apple', Jan Svankmajer's Czech animation 'Virile Games' and the world premiere of Dylan Williams and Marc Rome's 'Zambian Films' documentary.

Despite the opening in 2001 of a brand new multiplex in nearby Llandudno Junction, Real Institute membership has continued to increase. Germaline Puddlesuck commented "We're proud we're not a multiplex - we do something very different. Everything here happens because someone cares about it. The music is put together specially for the night by someone really into music, the cakes are cooked at home, decorations make the place very atmospheric. The films are here because someone really wanted to see them not just because the marketing department of some Hollywood business needs to balance the books this month. We can offer the unexpected."

Real Institute is currently preparing its next special event 'Fringe Republic' when they will declare a twenty-four hour independent free-state in the middle of Llandudno. Germaline Puddlesuck acknowledged the importance of events like these, "It is essential that there is freedom for new ideas. Although the core activity is regular monthly film nights, special events have greatly contributed to the breadth of activity and kept impetus and energy levels high. After only a few months since the launch of Real Institute, we had too many requests to participate in festivals and events to handle.
We've got some great ideas for the future, like our 'films in a blow-up rubber duck', drive-in bingo cinema, and 'Bus Films' where we show films inside a hire bus in remote areas with no access to a cinema. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Real institute is here to stay."

What the Press say:
'Real Institute is a unique creation' Daily Post
'Not for the Real Institute the cheesy standard local restaurant or driving school adverts with a voice over. Instead these are 'arty' films, one of which, an advert for the Royal Cambrian Gallery , has already been snapped up by S4C' Daily Post
'Green? The woman next to me laughed, as did others who had obviously been at the last showing. Things were getting curiouser and curiouser.' Daily Post

What the audience says:
'There's nothing else like this anywhere in North Wales ­ its a brilliant atmosphere' Sophie Roberts.
'A great way to bring people together - very impressive and inspiring' Angharad Jones.
'The best thing in North Wales sinceŠ well, there has never been anything like it before!!' T. Hughes.
'Superb films, great for Betws-y-Coed & Snowdonia to have access to high quality film entertainmentŠ Great atmosphere, coffee and cakes' A. Davies.