Wagner Hall Brighton

Brighton Café Scientifique - Living is a Risky Business
2024-09-02 19:15 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | Wagner Hall
With Prof Jennifer Visser-Rogers

DOORS: 7.15pm

SPEAKER: 8.00pm

IMPORTANT
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We are bombarded with numbers and statistics in the media on a daily basis and are expected to use these to make decisions about our day-to-day lives. But what do these numbers really mean? Real life involves risks. From cycling without a helmet, visiting a country with contagious diseases, to living near the water. Sometimes your perception of risk is distorted, making you think that some things are more – or less – risky than is actually the case. And sometimes things happen just by chance, right? In this talk Jen Visser-Rogers will be taking you through some of the most important concepts in statistics as she looks at extreme weather events, pharmaceutical drug trials, risk, and more.

Professor Jennifer Visser-Rogers is an experienced statistical consultant and a popular science communicator and presenter. With a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick and a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Lancaster University, she has a broad portfolio of achievement, particularly in the development of clinical trial methodologies. She has an interest in the development and application of novel statistical methodologies, particularly in clinical trials. Jen can also regularly be found giving conference presentations and talking all things statistics in schools, theatres and pubs. She can often be heard on the Radio or seen on TV screens. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Jen carried out numerous interviews, was ITV’s resident COVID-19 statistician, and was a member of the Royal Statistical Society COVID-19 Task Force.

This talk has been arranged in collaboration with the Royal Statistical Society whose annual conference is taking place in Brighton during the first week of September.

White Wall Cinema: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME(1939)
2024-09-04 18:40 - 22:30
OUTDOOR SCREENING

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As the world prepares for the re-opening of Notre Dame join us to celebrate not only that, but the return of White Wall Cinema. Be a part of a special end of summer outdoor screening of a true classic, that also includes a free gift of your choice from a new set of special edition classic gothic novels being published this September by Pan Macmillan as part of the Macmillan Collectors Library (R.R.P. £9.99).

Be a part of this special outdoor screening, in the shadow of our very own gothic-revival church tower that looms over our garden, of the truly wonderful 1939 classic screen adaption of The Hunchback of Notre Dame featuring a truly remarkable, sensitive and powerful performance by the great Charles Laughton (Mutiny On The Bounty / Witness for the Prosecution / Spartacus). With every ticket you will receive a free book of your choice from the new special edition Macmillan Collectors Library ‘Monsters, Misfits & Ghosts’ range that includes Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, Victor Hugo’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ as well as ‘The Shadow in The Corner and Other Classic Ghost Stories’ featuring tales by the likes of Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens.

Please note This screening will be outside only if the weather permits, if the risk of disruptive wind or rain is judged to be too high we may choose to relocate this event to our usual indoor space. Whatever the weather the screening will go ahead either outdoors or indoors. Regarding outdoors, please be aware the temperature can drop after sundown so please bring the relevant clothing. Blankets and small cushions are allowed but please do not bring any camping chairs etc as they will not permitted. If you need to sit in a chair for health reasons please contact us in advance via info@whitewallcinema.co.uk seating position is on a first come first served basis so please arrive early.

​DOORS: 6.40pm*

START TIME: 7.40pm*

RUN TIME: 116 mins

CERT: PG (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)

Brighton Astro - Project: Space Balloon (DNA to the edge of space)
2024-09-05 19:00 - 21:30
DOORS: 7.00pm

LECTURE: 7.30pm

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Ever wanted to go to space, like… for real? Well, now you can! Come and learn how budding astronauts Louis and Russ launched their DNA to the edge of space… and even managed to retrieve it! Come and learn exactly how they did it, how you could do it too, and if their DNA has changed because of it.

If you would like to come along, please register below.

If you sign up via meetup but can no longer attend, please update your status to say that you are no longer attending so that someone on the waiting list gets a place.

Please only come along if you’ve signed up, as we’re limited on space so won’t be able to fit anyone else in.

For this meeting we will be at Wagner Hall on Regency Road, Brighton.Attendance is free, but we would be grateful if those of you who are able to could donate a few pounds to help cover the cost of hiring this event space. We will have a card reader and a money box you can drop your donations in on the night. We also have a bank account you can donate to electronically.

Please note that the venue has a bar that sells alcohol.

Brighton Natural Wine Fair
2024-09-07 12:00 - 18:00
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Brighton Natural Wine Fair is back! This time with more amazing UK low-intervention winemakers, local food stands plus wild beers & cider!

After the sell out success of the first Brighton Natural Wine Fair in April this year, we’re back and bringing you more UK low-intervention wine makers than you can shake a stick at! Whether you’re a pet nat pro or a natural wine newbie we’re guaranteed to have something for everyone!

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE BRIGHTON NATURAL WINE FAIR?

We’ve lined up 20+ of the UK’s most exciting low-intervention winemakers to bring their best wines to Brighton, just for you! We want you to discover more excellent wines and hopefully learn a thing or two in the process. To add to our ferment fiesta, we’ll also have an array of wild beer and cider makers at the fair, plus kombucha!

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Meet and chat all things wine with 20+ wine producers from all around the UK. We’ll have around 80 different wines available to taste on the day!

Try some wild fermented beer and cider direct from the producers!

Join a workshop or masterclass – schedule TBC!

Get stuck into a craft workshop with Cult Milk

Grab some food from one of our local Sussex suppliers

Hang out at our natural wine bar and enjoy the great vibes!

​STRICTLY OVER 18s ONLY

Brighton Café Scientifique - Monitoring biodiversity along the Sussex coast
2024-09-18 19:15 - 21:30
With Dr Valentina Scarponi and Alice Clark

DOORS: 7.15pm

SPEAKER: 8.00pm

IMPORTANT
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Up until the late 1980’s, Sussex Bay harboured dense kelp beds. However, since then, 96% of the kelp beds have been lost from the Bay, resulting in a degraded habitat. It is thought that the kelp was lost as a result of decades of trawling, increased water temperatures, sedimentation and pollution. In March 2021, the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) introduced the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, firstly to help the recovery of fish stocks and secondly to allow the kelp to restore itself. The ARK team (Aquatic Research and Knowledge exchange) at the University of Sussex has since been monitoring the biodiversity in Sussex Bay, using video surveys and environmental DNA, to understand how the removal of trawling is affecting marine life.

Dr Valentina Scarponi is a lecturer in Ecology and Animal Behaviour at the University of Sussex, and the project co-lead with Prof Mika Peck. Her expertise includes shark behaviour, ecophysiology and conservation, fisheries management, coral reef monitoring and restoration, and effects of habitat degradation on marine community composition.

Alice Clark is a PhD student at the University of Sussex. She has a background in zoology and evolutionary biology. Her PhD research focuses on monitoring biodiversity along the Sussex coast since the implementation of the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw.

White Wall Cinema: HEARTS OF DARKNESS
2024-09-24 19:30 - 22:30
A FILMAKER’S APOCALYPSE

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With the impending release of The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola’s self financed 120 million dollar potential masterpiece / disasterpiece Megalopolis, and it’s accompanying discussion / bizarre controversy surrounding it’s production, we take a look back at the king of all madcap Coppola productions with this remarkable film documenting the sheer insanity surrounding the production of Coppola’s undoubted 1979 masterpiece, Apocalypse Now.

Truly one of the great films about filmmaking, the descent into near madness for Coppola is fascinating to watch as he chases his vision and nearly loses all sense of reality in an up river journey into the jungle almost as bizarre and wild as the ones experienced by the characters in the actual film.

Also available is a discounted joint ticket for this screening and our November 29th screening of ‘American Movie’, a profoundly funny and beloved cult documentary about a young filmmaker with no less ambition but far less money (approximately $3000) attempting to shoot a horror film in mid 90s Wisconsin, only to a face a series of hopelessly hilarious setbacks.

​DOORS: 7.30pm*

START TIME: 8pm*

RUN TIME: 96 mins

CERT: 15

White Wall Cinema: DRIVE AWAY DYKES
2024-09-30 19:30 - 22:30
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When the free spirited Jamie (Margaret Qualley – Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Poor Things) breaks up with her girlfriend (Beanie Feldstein – Ladybird, Booksmart) she decides it’s time to take her demure (possibly uptight) housemate Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan – Hala, Bad Education) on a road trip to Tallahassee.

But things do not go as planned when the two inadvertently get tangled up in a ludicrous criminal plot that involves everyone from Pedro Pascal to Colman Domingo to Matt Damon. This quickfire little gem of a star studded queer road trip movie combines both that familiar off beat Coen Brothers feeling we all know and love as well as delivering a fresh, slickly delivered, cheerfully trashy B-movie vibe, with lots of goofiness and lots of sex.

DOORS: 7.30pm*

START TIME: 8pm*

RUN TIME: 84 mins

CERT: 15 (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

White Wall Cinema: RIDDLE OF FIRE
2024-10-02 19:00 - 22:30
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Dubbed ‘The coolest debut from Cannes’ by AnoOther Magazine, Riddle of Fire is a totally unique cinematic experience that follows three renegade kids who tear across the rolling hills of Wyoming in a mythical quest for Blueberry Pie in order that they might be allowed to play a stolen video game.

Delightfully odd and very cool, Riddle of Fire is Hayao Miyazaki, Twin Peaks, Zelda, Home Alone, Dungeons & Dragons, Robin Hood, The Brothers Grimm and more, all rolled into one tale of dirt bike riding paintball gun toting outlaws with a heavy dose of folklore with witches in the woods and fairies in the trees, all set in the American mid-west.

As Variety Magazine wrote: ‘Its deadpan comedy and surreal feel — somewhere between “Escape to Witch Mountain,” “Scooby-Doo” and “Napoleon Dynamite” — make it equally appealing to kids, Gen Xers, stoners, Adult Swim watchers and fans of cult indie cinema’.

​Appealingly all shot on 16mm to create a ‘dark 70s kids Disney Sci-Fi vibe’, and layered with one of the coolest soundtracks in recent memory by some of the best ‘dungeon synth’ artists (yes, apparently that’s a thing), it’s an achingly cool, but entirely heartfelt ode to long summers of childhood mischief, as well as lo-fi fantasy ‘dust’ epics of the 70s and 80s.

DOORS: 7.00pm

START TIME: 7.40pm

RUN TIME: 113 mins

CERT: 12 (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

Brighton Astro - Many Moons of the Giant Planets
2024-10-03 19:00 - 21:30
Speaker: Will Joyce

DOORS: 7.00pm

LECTURE: 7.30pm

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Spacecraft exploration of the outer planets and their extensive systems of moons discovered a variety of strange new worlds, some planet-sized, many challenging conventional science, and some being downright bizarre. Plus, several may even be home to life, despite being well outside the Sun’s “Habitable Zone”!

This discussion surveys many of these fascinating worlds using spectacular imagery and modern scientific ideas, including:

Why is Io the most volcanically active world in our Solar System?

Can Europa really support life as we know it?

Can deep water oceans exist inside several large, medium and small worlds?

Is Titan a “future Earth” currently stored in “deep freeze”?

Can moons collide, break apart, and reform?

Current and future space missions to try to obtain some answers.

Many important questions remain, and possibilities are actively debated among planetary scientists.

Join the discussion!

If you would like to come along, please register below.

If you sign up via meetup but can no longer attend, please update your status to say that you are no longer attending so that someone on the waiting list gets a place.

Please only come along if you’ve signed up, as we’re limited on space so won’t be able to fit anyone else in.

For this meeting we will be at Wagner Hall on Regency Road, Brighton.Attendance is free, but we would be grateful if those of you who are able to could donate a few pounds to help cover the cost of hiring this event space. We will have a card reader and a money box you can drop your donations in on the night. We also have a bank account you can donate to electronically.

Please note that the venue has a bar that sells alcohol.

Waterstones: An Evening With Florence Given
2024-10-07 19:00 - 21:30
DOORS – 6.15pm

EVENT – 7.00pm

Tickets

Following her sold out ‘Girlcrush’ event from last year, Florence Given returns to Brighton Waterstones to discuss her much anticipated new book, ‘Women Living Deliciously’.

In ‘Women Living Deliciously’, Florence encourages us to fall in love with our lives and uncover the sense of wonder in ourselves that has been buried by shame, perfectionism and self-objectification.

She believes that for too long we have internalised the belief that our bodies are things to be looked at, rather than lived in; that it’s embarrassing to fully express ourselves; that we cannot trust the parts of ourselves that are so full of desire.

This book will unpack the many barriers women face when trying to access joy so that they can discover the delicious life that’s theirs for the taking.

Please note: the Book & Ticket option includes a copy of Women Living Deliciously (RRP. £20.00) which will be available for collection on the night.

Brighton Café Scientifique - Glass fibre composites - a new ‘forever material’?
2024-10-09 19:15 - 21:30
With Dr Corina Ciocan

DOORS: 7.15pm

SPEAKER: 8.00pm

IMPORTANT
Please ensure you REGISTER prior to attending!

Register to Attend

Over the past 80 years, glass reinforced plastic boats (GRP or composite boats) have become a mainstay of the boating industry while little attention has been given to the consequences of GRP degradation or boat disposal. Recent studies reveal widespread glass fibre pollution in heavily trafficked waterways while research and policy lag behind. With over one million GRP boats reaching the end of their life each year, disposal and recycling solutions that protect aquatic life and human health are urgently needed.

A marine biologist, Corina Ciocan’s expertise is in Ecotoxicology (the impact of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms). She has been a Principal Lecturer at the University of Brighton since 2012; prior to this, Corina was a full-time Researcher at the University of Sussex, part of the Aquatic Toxicology group. She is involved in a wide range of national and international research programmes, with focus on aquatic contamination. She has published scientific articles and books and her studies have been heavily referenced in numerous publications and television programs around the world. She is considered a pioneer in efforts to highlight coastal degradation, but also the lack of environmental protection legislation.

Doors and bar open 7:15pm

White Wall Cinema: WATERWORLD
2024-10-11 18:50 - 22:30
‘THE ULYSSES CUT’

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WWC is proud to present a very special screening of the fabled ‘Ulysses Cut’ of the much maligned 90s Kevin Costner ‘Mad Max, but on water’ blockbuster Waterworld. Attacked viciously in the press even BEFORE it’s release due to reported production problems and a ballooning budget of what, at the time, became the most expensive movie ever made, the film has (rather incorrectly) become synonymous with monstrous financial disaster.

Cut to ribbons by the studio in a panic to try to salvage something from the reputation the press had given it before even seeing it, huge chunks of character development, some of the film’s best sequences and the films pacing were lost, giving way to a confusing choppy theatrical cut. Eventually in the years that followed more expansive (but censored for TV) versions surfaced on American TV, and over the intervening decades footage was cribbed from these by fans, and cobbled together into an infamous ‘Ulysses Cut’ that spread around film fans online. Finally now restored in it’s full uncensored, original length glory (restoring some lost 40 minutes of scenes) the official ‘Ulysses Cut’ represents the definitive version of this lost epic blockbuster that now comes across as Mad Max directed by Terry Gilliam.

DOORS: 6.50pm*

START TIME: 7.20pm*

RUN TIME: 178 mins

CERT: 12 (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

White Wall Cinema: GLORIA (1980)
2024-10-17 19:10 - 22:30
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Originally announced by us back in May, this screening now becomes an unintended tribute to the great Gena Rowlands who sadly passed away on August 14th of this year. One of the great actresses of her, or indeed any other generation, starring in films such as Woody Allen’s Another Woman and Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth.

This gem of a movie is the product of Rowland’s husband and collaborator John Cassavetes. A renowned actor himself (Rosemary’s Baby, The Dirty Dozen), Cassavetes was also a revered writer / director and considered a true filmmaker’s filmmaker creating such uncompromising classics as Husbands and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. But for both Rowlands and Cassavetes it was their husband & wife collaborations that would become their most successful ventures with dense but highly rewarding masterpieces like Opening Night and A Woman Under The Influence. This film was initially designed by Cassavetes’s as a commercial script to sell to a major studio for others to make, but when Rowlands was cast, Cassavetes’s could no longer resist taking on directorial duties.

DOORS: 7.10pm*

START TIME: 7.40pm*

RUN TIME: 122 mins

CERT: 15

​

Identity Theatre Company: THE WELKIN
2024-10-23 18:30 - 22:30, 2024-10-24 18:30 - 22:30, 2024-10-25 18:30 - 22:30, 2024-10-26 18:30 - 22:30
Doors: 6.30pm

Act 1: 7.00pm

Interval: 20mins

Act 2 end: Approx 10pm

“She has been sentenced by men pretending to be certain of things of which they are entirely ignorant.”

1759 – The country waits for Halley’s Comet.

In rural Suffolk, Sally Poppy is sentenced to hang for a heinous murder. When she claims to be pregnant, a jury of twelve matrons are taken from their housework to decide whether she’s telling the truth, or simply trying to escape the noose. With only midwife Lizzy Luke prepared to defend the girl, and a mob baying for blood outside, the matrons wrestle with their new authority and the devil in their midst.

A bold, powerful and unflinching play that asks how far have we really come? It’s funny, it’s bizarre and most importantly it is a necessary reminder that we really have not come that far since the 18th century.

The Welkin contains adult themes and language.

Tickets

White Wall Cinema: US
2024-10-30 19:10 - 22:30
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

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Celebrating the release of film director Jordan Peele’s Black horror anthology paperback ‘Out There Screaming’ we screen Peele’s underrated middle feature made between his breakout hit ‘Get Out’ and IMAX style blockbuster ‘Nope’. ‘Us’ is a fascinating secret code of a horror movie filled to the brim with hidden clues, messages and ideas. Lupita Nyong’o stars as Adelaide, who despite being troubled by a memory from her past returns to her childhood home with her husband and kids, only to face a horrifying home invasion from four red-jumpsuit wearing attackers who seem to be exact doppelgangers of her, her husband and children.

Celebrating the release of film director Jordan Peele’s Black horror anthology paperback ‘Out There Screaming’ we screen Peele’s underrated middle feature made between his breakout hit ‘Get Out’ and IMAX style blockbuster ‘Nope’. ‘Us’ is a fascinating secret code of a horror movie filled to the brim with hidden clues, messages and ideas. Lupita Nyong’o stars as Adelaide, who despite being troubled by a memory from her past returns to her childhood home with her husband and kids, only to face a horrifying home invasion from four red-jumpsuit wearing attackers who seem to be exact doppelgangers of her, her husband and children.

Screening in conjunction with Picador Books / Monkeypaw Productions celebrating the release of the new Jordan Peele curated black horror story anthology paperback ‘Out There Screaming’. Grab your copy on the night or get a special combo ticket for the event that includes entry and the book at a discounted price. Standard tickets also available.

DOORS: 7.10pm*

START TIME: 7.40pm*

RUN TIME: 116 mins

CERT: 15 (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)

White Wall Cinema: THE CROW
2024-10-31 19:30 - 22:30
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

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Before Robert Pattinson’s take on ‘The Batman’ another winged avenger ruled the gothic grunge roost. Long held as a bona-fide cult classic, the 1994 version of The Crow has recently begun to be re-evaluated for just how much influence it has had on modern cinema (especially Pattinson’s Batman/HBO’s Penguin). Starring Brandon (son of Bruce) Lee in his final role (Lee was killed in a tragic accident on the set of the movie) alongside other cult movie actors Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), David Patrick Kelly (Twin Peaks/The Warriors) and Tony Todd (Candyman), this dark pop culture masterpiece tells the tale of Eric Draven, an rock musician who is resurrected from the grave exactly one year after his death (the day before his wedding to his fiancé on Halloween) so he can seek retribution on those who have wronged him, which in this case just happens to lead to the city’s foremost crime syndicate.

The film is cleverly stylised and brilliantly shot by Dariusz Wolski, a music video director for the likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Eminem and Sting. Wolski later became the go to cinematographer for the likes of Ridley Scott, and Tim Burton, fitting given the clear influences of Scott’s Blade Runner and Burton’s 1989 Batman on show here. The film’s tragic story in-front of and behind the camera are the stuff of 90s goth legend, and the film has become a true pop culture landmark and a big influence on the future of popular cinema. Disastrously re-booted in 2024 with IT star Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs, this original 1994 film version is infinitely superior and still stands as one of the best dark comic book adaptations ever made. Join us for this very special Halloween night screening.

DOORS: 7.30pm*

START TIME: 8pm*

RUN TIME: 102 mins

CERT: 18

White Wall Cinema: ELECTION
2024-11-05 19:40 - 22:30
25 ANNIVERSARY SCREENING

On the day millions of Americans cast their votes at the ballot box we offer a little light relief with this special 25th anniversary screening of this savagely funny sophomore film from Alexander Payne, director of The Holdovers, Sideways, About Schmidt, The Descendants, Nebraska and more.

When high school teacher Jim McCallister (Matthew Broderick) is confronted by unbearably ambitious student Tracy Flick’s (Reese Witherspoon) unopposed campaign to become school president, he convinces the school’s most popular ‘jock’ Paul to run against her, unleashing unintended chaos into all their lives.

Barack Obama’s favourite ‘political’ movie it is a brilliant satire of U.S. politics as a whole, an exceptionally witty high school comedy that is Payne at his darkly humorous, gloriously bitter best.

DOORS: 7.10pm*

START TIME: 7.40pm*

RUN TIME: 103 mins

CERT: 15 (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)

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Brighton Astro - Studying the universe on a tabletop
2024-11-07 19:00 - 21:30
Speaker: Amber Shepherd, University of Sussex

DOORS: 7.00pm

LECTURE: 7.30pm

Register to Attend

There is still a lot that we do not understand about our universe, such as dark matter and dark energy.

Much of our understanding of dark matter comes from observations made from far out galaxies. We are building a very sensitive tabletop device to gather data which may help to answer some of these questions. This talk will explore what new physics tabletop experiments may uncover, as well as the quantum technology we are setting up to search for dark matter.

If you would like to come along, please register below.

If you sign up via meetup but can no longer attend, please update your status to say that you are no longer attending so that someone on the waiting list gets a place.

Please only come along if you’ve signed up, as we’re limited on space so won’t be able to fit anyone else in.

For this meeting we will be at Wagner Hall on Regency Road, Brighton.Attendance is free, but we would be grateful if those of you who are able to could donate a few pounds to help cover the cost of hiring this event space. We will have a card reader and a money box you can drop your donations in on the night. We also have a bank account you can donate to electronically.

Please note that the venue has a bar that sells alcohol.

White Wall Cinema: ONE FINE DAY
2024-11-08 18:40 - 22:30
+ LIVE Q&A WITH CORRINA ANTROBUS AUTHOR OF ‘I LOVE ROMCOMS & I AM A FEMINIST’

Join us for an evening celebrating and reappraising one of cinema’s most beloved but misunderstood genres, the Romantic Comedy. On the night we’ll be hosting a special in person Q&A with author and film critic (Empire, BBC Radio, Huffington Post, Total Film, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch), & founder of the Bechdel Test Film Fest, straight from her event at London Film Festival, Corrina Antrobus.

In her new beautifully illustrated book*, she examines Rom Coms with a Feminist eye and highlights the (perhaps unexpectedly) positive contributions to feminism many of your favourites have made. From Harold & Maude to Notting Hill to Barbie, we discuss her joyous Rom Com feminist manifesto, followed by a screening of a true underrated gem of the genre, ‘One Fine Day’.

The film takes an almost classical 30s style romantic comedy approach fusing it with the aesthetics of a 1996 rainy New York as two working parents juggle kids and the corporate world. Led by two generational talents in Michelle Pfeifer and George Clooney (in full Cary Grant mode) it is a surprisingly witty affair with sharp dialogue and a refreshing honesty about parenthood and dating that all adds up to a big warm hug of a movie with a surprising dose of sophistication.

*Copies of the book will be available for purchase on the night

Tickets & More Info

DOORS: 6.40pm*

START TIME: 7.10pm*

RUN TIME: 108 mins + Q&A

CERT: PG (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

Café Scientifique - The Neanderthal People of the English Channel: Adaptations and Extinctions
2024-11-13 19:15 - 21:30
With Dr Matt Pope

DOORS: 7.15pm

SPEAKER: 8.00pm

IMPORTANT
Please ensure you REGISTER prior to attending!

Register to Attend

La Manche is the name we give to the Ice Age landscapes of the English Channel, southern Britain and northern France. It has a record of early human behaviour which varies from isolated and difficult-to-interpret single artefacts through to rare sites preserving deep and rich accumulations of many thousands of finds. By interpreting these traces, which include rare human remains, we are able to tell a story of Neanderthal people from their earliest origins through to their apparent extinction. In this lecture we explore this record looking at Neanderthal culture through the lens of their adaptive success and consider in what ways their interactions with Homo sapiens may have led to their disappearance.

Matt Pope is an archaeologist based at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. Leading on excavations in Britain and the Channel Islands, he studies the Ice Age prehistory of northern Europe. His research tries to understand how early human cultures pushed at the limits of their range and how these adaptations underpinned our species success and the current challenges it faces.

Doors and bar open 7:15pm

White Wall Cinema: HOUSEKEEPING
2024-11-14 19:30 - 22:30
Perhaps Scotland’s greatest ever director, Bill Forsyth is best known for his smash hit British films Gregory’s Girl and Local Hero, but it’s perhaps his first American film that is his masterpiece.

Based on the novel of the same name by Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping tells the story of two young girls who, after the suicide of their mother, find themselves in the care of their cheerful but decidedly odd aunt Sylvie who is, at best, barely tethered to social norms. The girls, Ruth & Lucille, have then to contend with, not only their own relationship with Sylvie, but also with the concerns of the well meaning but entirely conservative and perplexed residents of the small 1950s Pacific North-western town in which they live. Christine Lahti is exceptional as Sylvie and gives a sublime performance as the eccentric aunt who dares to step outside of the suffocating domesticity that faced women of the era, ‘a woman slightly distracted by the possibilities of life’.

Filled with Forsyth’s off-beat but exceptionally humanist style, Housekeeping is a wonderfully sad, funny, strange and accurate fable about life, directed with exceptional skill, grace and charm. A haunting comedy that will stay with you for many years to come.

DOORS: 7.30pm*

START TIME: 8pm*

RUN TIME: 116 mins

CERT: PG (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

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White Wall Cinema: NETWORK
2024-11-20 19:20 - 22:30
Nominated for 10 Oscars with a searingly sensational Oscar winning screenplay named by The Writer’s Guild of America as one of the 10 best ever written, Paddy Chayefsky’s story of a TV news anchor who one day appears to have a nervous breakdown live on air whilst going on a fanatical rant, and the subsequent fall-out, is an all encompassing razor sharp satire about America and its media.

The New York Times labelled it “literate, darkly funny and breathtakingly prescient… the greatest screenplay of the 20th century’. Impeccably acted by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, and Beatrice Straight (who all won Oscars for their roles) joined by William Holden and Robert Duvall, directed by one of the all time greats in Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon), Network is the benchmark by which all other media satires are measured.

DOORS: 7.20pm*

START TIME: 7.50pm*

RUN TIME: 121 mins

CERT: 15 (Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)

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Waterstones: An Evening With Matt Haig
2024-11-21 19:00 - 21:30
DOORS – 6.15pm

EVENT – 7.00pm

Tickets

Matt Haig is the the beloved author of titles such as ‘The Midnight Library’ and ‘How to Stop Time’ and now brings us another beautifully wrought and inspiring novel, ‘The Life Impossible’

Meet Grace, a retired maths teacher who has been left a run down house on a Mediterranean island by a long lost friend. With little more than a one way ticket, she sets off … and so begins her wondrous and wild adventure. This is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

An author who blurs the lines between genres, blending fantasy, myth and science fiction to create some of the most inventive and enduringly popular contemporary fiction, Matt Haig is also amongst Waterstones bookseller’s favourite authors. His novels include How to Stop Time, The Radleys and The Humans as well as children’s books including A Boy Called Christmas and The Girl Who Saved Christmas. He is also the author of the Sunday Times bestseller and Waterstones non-fiction Book of the Month, Reasons to Stay Alive and the follow up, Notes on a Nervous Planet.

Please note: the Book & Ticket option includes a copy of ‘The Life Impossible’ (rrp £20)

NOTE: this event is currently SOLD OUT. Please contact Waterstones Brighton for any returns / avails.

White Wall Cinema: AMERICAN MOVIE
2024-11-29 19:30 - 22:30
Tickets & More Info

One of the funniest, most heartfelt and enjoyable documentaries of all time now celebrating it’s 25th anniversary ‘American Movie’ (winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival) centres on young Wisconsin filmmaker Mark Borchardt who along with friend Mike Schank are attempting to make low budget horror movie ‘Coven’. ‘Attempting’ being the operative word. Armed only with determination and a $3000 loan from his uncle, a combination of mishaps, mismanagement and sheer ineptitude lead to a catalogue of hilarious filmmaking disasters.

Here director Chris Smith, who went on to create a string of successful docs that include ‘Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond’ (the doc about Jim Carrey playing Andy Kauffman in Man On The Moon), ‘Fyre’ (about the failed Fyre Festival), ‘Sr’ (about Robert Downey Jr. and his father, Robert Downey Sr), the recent 2023 Wham! doc and an upcoming 2024 DEVO doc. crafts one of the most beloved, intimate and amusing docs of all time in ‘American Movie’.

​This bittersweet doc about a would-be director and his bumbling but loyal friend is surprisingly funny, touching and a real love letter to the burning sense of ambition that fuels every true filmmaker as well as a loving and joyous portrait of two hapless friends chasing their dreams.

Also available is a discounted joint ticket for this screening and our September 24th screening of ‘Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse’. Charting the infamously over-budget out of control 1979 shoot of Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic masterpiece Apocalypse Now. Encountering one monumental setback after another and fuelled by a burning desire to create something remarkable, Hearts of Darkness is American Movie writ large, and charts the very same filmmaking passion at the exact opposite end of the scale

DOORS: 7.30pm*

START TIME: 8pm*

RUN TIME: 107 mins

CERT: 15

White Wall Cinema: THE HOLDOVERS
2024-12-04 19:00 - 22:30
Christmas Special!

Tickets & More Info

Back at WWC again director Alexander Payne (responsible for the likes of Sideways, The Descendants, About Schmidt, Nebraska and more) brings us his latest film in the form of this delightfully witty and touching Christmas tale. Infused with Payne’s trademark bittersweet tone this was one the year’s best reviewed film.

A best picture nominee at this years Oscars the film’s leads came away with a clutch of awards including Best Actor for Paul Giamatti at the Golden Globes, and Da Vine Joy Randolph who took home Best Supporting Actress gongs from the Critics Choice Awards, The Baftas, The Golden Globes, New York Film Critics Circle and even earned herself an Oscar.

​The film takes place over the (perhaps not so) festive season at a snowy New England prep school in 1970, where curmudgeonly classics teacher Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is handed the task of looking after ‘The Holdovers’ i.e. the boys at the boarding school who aren’t going home for Christmas. An unlikely connection is formed between the most intelligent but emotionally troubled of the boys Angus (Dominic Sessna), as well as the recently bereaved school cook Mary, played with breath-taking skill and warmth by Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

This story of three shipwrecked people struggling to find meaning and indeed and any form of Christmas spirit is a masterclass in heartfelt, intelligent and tender comedy. Easily one of the best films the year, the studio bizarrely bungled it’s release putting it into cinemas AFTER Christmas. Easily the best Christmas movie of the last 20+ years it truly deserves to be watched on the big screen in the lead up to the big day as part of a new Christmas tradition given it’s pedigree as an instant classic.

DOORS: 7pm*

START TIME: 7.30pm*

RUN TIME: 133 mins

CERT: 15 (Under 16s must accompanied by an adult)

The Comedy Graduation Night
2024-12-06 19:00 - 22:00
After weeks of hard work and dedication, the talented individuals from the 8-week comedy course are ready to take the stage and showcase their comedic genius.

From crafting hilarious material to perfecting their delivery, they’ve honed their skills week after week, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.

Join them for an unforgettable evening filled with laughter, camaraderie, and celebration of comedic talent.

Don’t miss out on this incredible showcase of comedy brilliance! See you there for a night to remember!

Tickets & Info

DOORS: 7pm

SHOW: 8pm

Christmas Makers Fair
2024-12-14 10:30 - 16:30
DOORS: 10.30am

Our 2-day Christmas Makers Fair returns to Wagner Hall for its fourth year, showcasing some of the most diverse and talented makers, artists & designers local to Brighton.

Get ready to embrace the festive spirit as we bring you an enchanting curated Christmas Makers Fair, where creativity and cheer collide. Join us for a joyful celebration with over 80 local artisans, crafters, creators & foodies, spread across the weekend, who are ready to showcase their unique handmade treasures & designs.

Grab a bite to eat and a coffee from the pop-up cafe run by local baker Seashore Bakes. You’ll find an amazing selection of cakes & sweet treats including some festive specials too. Head to the garden, where you’ll find Boella serving up authentic Neapolitan style pizzas, panuozzi’s and arancini’s. Get in the festive spirit with a cheeky mulled wine or cider!

After a successful weekend last year, Bunches of Sussex are back with their popular Wreath making workshop! You will design and make your very own wreath, with the support and guidance from specialist florists – just £40 per person. The class is open to all ages and abilities – everyone is welcome (littles ones will require adult supervision with snippers). So, bring your friends and family or come solo and make new friends as you bond over some festive crafting! please note: workshop is located outside in gazebos. Blankets will be provided but please wrap up warm!

Please note: some stalls will be located on the stage with access via stairs only.

For more info..

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