Catch up with films from history's bin (From Gazette Series)

Catch up with films from history's bin

CHIPPING Sodbury might sound an unlikely place for time travel, but it has been going on there since the turn of the century.

Each January, enthusiasts gather for a day in the town hall. They come to watch films reflecting everyday life in the period between 1935 and 1970.

The occasion is the Annual Dustbin Film Festival.

Organiser Jim Wilkie said: "Without doubt this is probably the world's most unglamorous film festival - when these films were made, the stars were the tools and machines themselves: these machines might have had far more effect on everyday life than any celebrity."

The films that make it to the festival have survived by chance, despite being declared obsolete and consigned to dustbins by their original sponsors.

The films were made on location, with most of the people shown carrying out their everyday normal working lives despite the presence of the camera.

In 2006, on Saturday, January 28 (10am-9pm), these 'Dustbin Films' will provide tantalising glimpses of lives that have since been totally changed by progress.

Most of the films were made using 16mm cameras - depending on their age, they are in black and white or colour, silent or with mono sound; and lengths vary from a few minutes to 40 minutes.

Many members of the audience are interested in the preservation of old machinery; others appreciate the chance to travel back in time; some are modern film students fascinated by techniques used by their predecessors; and occasionally someone comes along who has used a particular machine or technique in the past.

Collectors are invited to offer suitable films of the same type for screening.

This year, a number of Police and Firefighting films are already promised from a Californian collector.

Most of the films are chosen on the day by the audience, and it is this unpredictability that makes the Festival so interesting - four projectors run four films simultaneously in different areas.

Light refreshments are available at intervals during the day.

To book tickets and make enquiries contact Jim Wilkie on 01454 323109.