18th October 2021
MAIN STORY
THE CINEMA MUSEUM DIRECTORS WIN INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD
Martin Humphries and Ronald Grant, directors of The Cinema Museum in London have won the most prestigious international ‘The Jean Mitry Award’ for their work in creating and running The Cinema Museum – home to Silent Film screenings in London. This annual prize (since 1989) is awarded to ‘individuals and institutions, distinguished for their contribution to the reclamation and appreciation of silent cinema’.
Le Giornate del cinema muto (referred to in English as Pordenone Silent Film Festival) is an annual festival of silent film held in October in Pordenone, Italy. It is the world’s first, largest and most important international festival dedicated to silent film and its annual award is amongst the sectors most valued achievements.
The Cinema Museum’s strapline is ‘committed to memory’ and a significant part of its work is supporting silent film – old and new. The Museum works with anyone who loves silent film to co-host, screenings, festivals, talks and events that explore and share silent film; its history; its people and its stories. But silent film is not just of historic interest – it is a powerful genre that attracts the most creative of film makers and the Museum encourages new silent film makers as well as celebrating existing silent film.
The Cinema Museum’s home is in London, in Lambeth’s grade two listed old workhouse (once home of Charlie Chaplin and his mother) where it runs a range of cinema and cinema-going events with silent movies at its heart. Their baby grand piano allows the Museum to provide its popular silent film screenings with live musical accompaniment – and its vast archive allows students, writers and historians to delve into the history of silent film.
UNDERLYING STORY
THE CINEMA MUSEUM REMAINS UNDER THREAT FROM REGENERATION AND DEVELOPERS
The old Lambeth workhouse, current home of The Cinema Museum sits on a much larger piece of land which has been purchased by property developers. The Museum has been involved in a 15 year battle to rescue this beautiful, but crumbling grade 2 listed building with a view to ensuring: 1) it can raise the many millions needed to repair the building and 2) ensure that the buildings remain open for public and community use and 3) provide a permanent home for The Cinema Museum.
This award is a recognition of the life’s work of Ronald Grant and Martin Humphries and is a significant honour. But whilst everyone celebrates, the future of this wonderful building and its unique collections still hangs on a thread. Everything will be lost unless an agreement to purchase can be agreed with the landlords and developers. 2022 will see either the salvation or the destruction of this important piece of UK cinema and film heritage.
A local resident – and subsequent trustee of The Cinema Museum has set up a ‘Save The Cinema Museum’ petition. The campaign has the support of big national names such as Rory Kinnear and Toby Jones and the petition already has 56,700 signatures – they aim for 60,000 before the end of the month so they can sent the petition to the developers and the Mayor of London. https://tinyurl.com/y9jgubrv
COMMENTS
Ronald Grant, Director and co-founder of the Cinema Museum says
‘The Jean Mitry Award’ is such a high honour because it is an award made by one’s peers. It is a recognition of achievement by the people that have emersed themselves in this important area of film for their entire lives. I am very touched and very grateful that my peers and colleagues in silent film have seen me and my work with The Cinema Museum in this way. This important award could not have come at a better time, as we continue to fight for the survival of the Museum I have dedicated my life to building’.
Martin Humphries, Director and co-founder of the Cinema Museum says ‘We are blown away by receiving The Jean Mitry Award – past winners are the rock stars of the Silent Movie world and we are stunned to be joining their ranks. Like all awards – its not just for us – its for all those who helped us get there too. So here are the thanks: thanks to Silent London, who awarded The Cinema Museum their ‘best venue for silent film’ award in 2018 and 2020; thanks to Art Fund who funded us to get through COVID19; thanks to our local partners Kennington Bioscope for helping us celebrate silent film; thanks to everyone who donated to our two Crowdfunder’s that helped us survive 2020/21; thanks to everyone who has signed our petition that has helped keep our chins up to fight on; and thanks to Lambeth Council, Southwark Council, the GLA and our local community for helping us fight for the future of the Museum and huge thanks to our 70 volunteers who make everything come alive.