“It talks about the glory of cinema and mortality – but audiences can also have a real laugh watching it”: Kim Hopkins and the Bradford Movie Makers on A Bunch of Amateurs

A Bunch of Amateurs is the heartwarming new documentary from director Kim Hopkins that takes a deep dive into the Bradford Movie Makers, the quintessentially British working-class amateur filmmaking club that has been running for almost 90 years. It captures the Northern wit, bickering and community spirit that binds this found family together against the odds, through financial trouble and ailing members.

From superimposing a club member onto a horse with CGI to multiple takes of an evil cackle, many a joyous moment of lo-fi moviemaking magic is caught on camera, as is the place the collective has in the lives of its dedicated attendees, many of whom face ill health and isolation – conditions accentuated by the pandemic and lockdown. Their story is one filled with hope and optimism, despite its undercurrents of tragedy, and the film demonstrates with such clarity the importance of connection and of looking after the elderly in our communities, as well as how shared passion can keep one’s creative spirit alive.

Ahead of the release, the Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking with the filmmaker and members of the Bradford Movie Makers, who shared their stories from the making of the documentary. They discussed celebrating the power of cinema to bring people together and what it means to them for the film to be connecting with audiences and picking up awards.

Sarah Bradbury

A Bunch of Amateurs is released in select cinemas on 11^th November 2022. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for A Bunch of Amateurs here: