Film Council Launches Film Search Website
The Film Council’s new service, Find Any Film looks like it could turn into something rather good. At the moment it can tell you the nearest cinema that’s showing a film of your choice. This has been a feature of www.imdb.com in America for years now, but is apparently a first for the UK. It can also tell you if the film you’re looking for is due on TV, or is available on disc or for download.
More features are due to be added, which is necessary if it is to become more than just a good looking UK-specific imdb clone in order to succeed.
It would be great if they could sign a deal with the BFI to carry reviews and/or synopses from Sight & Sound, but I’m not sure how they could do so without killing Sight and Sound’s circulation. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to using it properly when I return to the UK in June. Let’s hope it helps small exhibitors attract larger audiences and promotes small, interesting and British films.
We could do with that. We have to drive up to Bluewater to see a lot of films as Hastings caters for the more chavvy end of the market and doesn’t show a lot of things – it would be good to know more local venues. I used to use imdb all the time for cataloguing films but it didn’t have that feature when I used it last.
Maz