Diary of a (Broke) Warwick cinephile: A movie-lover’s guide to uni life 

Dear Diary, I love film. Given the title, that should be obvious, but if you are reading then you also know that loving film is an expensive hobby and it is undoubtedly more expensive when paired with the costly life of a uni student.  

But you don’t have to fret, this article isn’t an obituary for your cinephilia or a how-to on managing without film at uni. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m Freddie Stevenson, a third-year Film & TV student, Warwick Student Cinema crew member and president of Comic Book Society (don’t worry, that last one is relevant). And I’m here to give you a definitive, if a tad informal, guide to uni life as a movie lover.  

‘ABSOLUTE CINEMA’

So, where to start? Well, university is a big place, but more importantly, universities have societies, and where better to begin than one of my personal favorite societies, Warwick Student Cinema. As a member of this society, I may have some bias but you should wait to hear what I have to say. WSC operates a student-run cinema, but this isn’t a typical get-together with friends, watching a film in a seminar room (despite that being fun too). This is when you want to experience ‘ABSOLUTE CINEMA’, as Martin Scorsese in a leather armchair would put it.  

Situated in L3 lecture theatre, WSC uses industry standard cinema equipment to project both 35mm film, 70mm film and DCI compliant digitally screened movies in a professional quality cinema with ads and trailers. It is the full cinema experience at university, and you can be a part of it!

While the cinema is available to all, members get a discount on tickets and if you join the crew, whether that be through stewarding, marketing, IT, publicity or projection, you can watch for free! Now I think that’s a good deal, especially as a broke film lover who wants to watch all the latest blockbusters and esteemed classics.  

The Film and TV Studies Society offer free weekly screenings in the FAB cinema

If you’re looking for something a bit more curated, I recommend the Film and TV Studies Society. They offer free weekly screenings in the FAB cinema and, being a Film and TV student myself, I can definitely attest to the quality of both their venue and their society. But don’t be discouraged by my approval, I can assure you that this is a student-led society which offers topical and relevant screenings on cinema movements, sub genres as specific as folk horror, and virtually any other niche a cinephile could think of. 

But just because you’re a cinephile doesn’t mean that you need to watch exclusively high-quality cinema. Sometimes it is better to loosen your inhibitions and go on over to Bad Film Society, who show films which are so bad they’re good every Monday in the Ramphal Building lecture theatre. From the ‘truly captivating emotional drama’ of The Room to the sheer insanity of Son of the Mask, it’s laughs guaranteed.  

Indulging in your other hobbies at university will almost certainly lead you back to film

While I may have covered all the film-oriented societies, most societies offer film nights as social events, so indulging in your other hobbies at university will almost certainly lead you back to film. As president of Comic Book Society (shameless plug I know) I’ll be happy to inform you of our superhero film night socials, if that’s up your street. And don’t forget, we have another cinema on campus at Warwick Arts Centre with its under-26 film club membership for only £10.  

Don’t let the student budget stand between you and absolute cinema. There’s something for all film lovers at Warwick University.