Long running film society faced with possible closure.A successful film society that has operated from a variety of Camden venues for nearly thirty years is in danger of closing down. The London Socialist Film Co-op announced at its AGM in March that it will have to wind up its activities after July unless new volunteers come forward to run it. Another meeting to discuss solutions had to be postponed because of coronavirus. Since 1991 the LSFC has been attracting a mix of cinephiles and political activists to its seasons of eclectic screenings accompanied by speakers and discussion. The programmes, open to the public as well as members, raise political issues through a range of material from old classics and recent feature films to current activist work-in-progress. Speakers might be a film maker but equally a campaigner, politician or writer concerned with issues raised. Past speakers have included Tony Ben, Kate Hudson of CND and Jeremy Corbyn.A combination of factors have led to the decision to consider closure. The organising committee consists entirely of volunteers who commit a considerable amount of time to planning and running the screenings and the present officers, who have managed the cooperative for a good many years, no longer feel able to carry on. While there are members keen to help intermittently, none have so far offered to make the consistent commitment needed to carry the organisation into the future. This situation coincides with a need to seek a new venue for the screenings and while the Co-op has successfully changed venue several times in the past, a move is likely to require other changes and certainly an extra investment of time on the part of the organisers. The committee has taken the decision with considerable regret as the LSFC is appreciated both for the films it shows and for the context of political discussion. Members and users hope that closure can be avoided and that publicity about the situation may encourage volunteers to come forward. A special meeting will be called when COVID 19 restrictions allow at which anyone, whether currently a member or not, will be welcomed to discuss the future. In the meantime anyone interested in knowing more about the situation or receiving a notification about the meeting should contact Monique Buchli at contact.lsfc@gmail.com
