welcome to the Fake Cinephile Film Club
first rule of the film club? you do not talk about the film club.
Alright.
I suppose I shall start from the top.
Last summer I was fed up with myself. I was finally finding my footing in my professional career as a film programmer but something still didn’t feel…right. I wasn’t satisfied.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do thoroughly. If you told college freshman me that I’d be working for some of the top film festivals in the world as a full time job, I don’t think I would laugh in your face but I would definitely not believe you.
I realized that I wanted more agency, more autonomy.
So, I started a TikTok account. Naturally.
The Fake Cinephile Film Club was born. My goal was simple: I wanted to introduce people to films they would never seek out. If I got one person to watch something new, love it or not, I had done myself justice. It reminded me of my days toiling away at the concession stand while working at the Wolfchase Malco Theater in Memphis before the pandemic began. There’s just something so good about someone approaching you and asking, “well, what do you recommend?”
It gave me a sense of purpose. It meant that all the time I spent crouched over my computer or beloved 40” TV meant something.
I approached the film club with a five point criteria, which would not only ensure that I was expanding my own film knowledge but that I wasn’t recommending the same cult classics over and over. Each month I’d come up with a niche theme and select films I thought would fit the line up.
Made by a Woman
Classic (doesn’t have to be strictly from Hollywood)
Made by or centers BIPOC
Cult Classic
International
As an example, here’s the programming from last August “How Do I Look?” which included films that were about or featured iconic character wardrobes. The films selected:
Marie Antoinette (2006)
What a Way to Go (1964)
B*A*P*S (1997)
Clueless (1995)
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? (1966)
Every week of the month, I’d talk in detail about the film, give a little history and point out some fun facts. While the idea of sitting down to film a video every week was a bit tedious, I found myself excited at the thought that I actually enjoyed doing it and this is coming from someone who was petrified at the thought of putting my face on the internet. While I didn’t get to throw lavish screenings at historic theaters and host stimulating q&as after, I could still touch the film community I was so desperate to be a part of.
Since the 12 hour TikTok “ban” has been extended and millions have gone back to using the app, I decided to cut my losses and figured it was time to branch out to explore something new. I’ve always wanted to return back to the page in this way and have a platform strictly dedicated to my writings.
While I’m unsure of how things will run with this newsletter, I plan to continue to cook up my programming series and indulge in my personal cinematic fantasies. I’d also like to dabble in reviews, guest interviews and maybe tie in an audio component!
I hope you decide to join the club. My mom said she’ll make shirts if we get enough people to sign up.