Whether you want to watch obscure documentaries or blockbusters with champagne, here’s our guide to the best London film clubs.
Firmdale Film Club
We’ll start by stepping into the high-life. Lots of restaurants and hotels are hosting film clubs in their purpose-built mini-cinemas, and The Soho Hotel has one of London’s most luxurious screening rooms. Their Sunday matinee showings include a three-course meal and a glass of champagne alongside your curated picture. Movies tend to be recent releases a month or two behind their opening - so if you’re looking to catch up, why not do it in style?
Firmdale Film Club is found at The Soho Hotel, 4 Richmond Mews, W1D 3DH | Charlotte Street Hotel, 15-17 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 1RJ | Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9HB
London Cinema Club
Movie nerd? Film fanatic? Just enjoy going to the cinema?
Whether you’re a cinephile with a film degree or just love movies, there’s room for you. Each week, our group of cinema enthusiasts watches a new film and then meets to talk about it.
Get involved here at London Cinema Club
The Close-Up Film Centre
The Close-up Film Centre in Shoreditch is a hive of rare film - stuff even seasoned Sight & Sound readers are unlikely to recognise. One of London’s best film clubs (even if it is more of a cinema) Close-Up programme seasons from global directors and cult filmmakers, and screenings happen every day. You can buy tickets to individual screenings, or access their huge film library with Membership. If you’re seeking something utterly unique, give Close-Up Film Centre a try.
The Close-Up Film Centre is found at 97 Sclater Street, E1 6HR
Kino London
Kino London is one of London’s foremost independent film societies. They put on monthly open-submission short film events (like an open mic night for film), workshops and classes for filmmakers and opportunities for makers to get up on stage and advocate their masterpieces in person. They hold specific networking events, and it’s a fantastic meet-and-greet club for those looking to make contacts with other filmmakers in London.
Kino London hosts events across the city.
London Movie Meet-up
The London Movie Meet-up Group on MeetUp is a good place to find like-minded cinephiles. The club organise regular trips to the cinema and anyone can join in by RSVPing. They have over 25,000 members (!) so as you can imagine not everyone attends every screening, however there are regular attendees, and its easily London’s largest film society. Other honourable mentions go to Wimbledon Film Club, with really varied fortnightly screenings and the occasional guest speaker and Q&A, and Beckenham’s FilmBox Community Cinema which has a couple of screens showing films soon after the mainstream cinema run.
The London Movie Meet-up Group attend screenings across the city.
Wimbledon Film Club screens films at Curzon Wimbledon, 23 The Broadway, SW19 1RE
FilmBox Community Cinema is found at Langley Park Centre for the Performing Arts, BR3 3BP