About Close Encounters

FILMCLUB expands young people's experience of film and their sense of what is possible in their lives and future careers. Our unique programme Close Encounters helps achieve that by arranging free visits and interactions with industry talent around the country. Both educational and inspirational, Close Encounters lifts the veil on cinema and shows pupils the world of film-making is within their reach.

Through Close Encounters, FILMCLUB members can interact with film professionals at special in-school Q&A sessions, screenings, events and set visits, opening up new paths in film to explore.

Drawing on its great and growing film family, FILMCLUB has arranged many visits with actors, directors, producers, Special FX, make-up and wardrobe artists, including: Alex Jennings, Beeban Kidron, Emma Thompson, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Gaby Dellal, Gurinder Chadha, Jason Isaacs, Kevin Macdonald, Laura Bailey, Lesley Manville, Lord Puttnam, Mark Burton, Nancy Thompson, Neil Lamont, Nigel Andrews, Oliver Parker, Robyn Slovo, Rosamund Pike, Sim Evans Jones, Simon McBurney, Sir Alan Parker, Thandie Newton, Tom Sutcliffe.

So far, FILMCLUB members have learned the techniques of screen acting and stunts, how to get action from the page to the screen, the secrets of film reviewing, manufacturing fake blood, and how to make a movie just by opening and closing your eyes!

FILMCLUB's Close Enounters team carefully matches schools to the visiting professional, considering age range, location and type of school - and then co-ordinate every detail right down to the visitor's travel arrangements. All the FILMCLUB members receiving a Close Encounter prepare by watching great films and thinking of great questions!