X
- levelFILM
- 1 h 35 m
- levelFILM
- 1 h 35 m
Summary Bradford Movie Makers is one of the oldest amateur filmmaking clubs in the world. Once a thriving community, these days the membership is dwindling and the group struggle to keep the wolf from the door.
Directed By: Kim Hopkins
Written By: Kim Hopkins
- levelFILM
- 1 h 35 m
- levelFILM
- 1 h 35 m
A Bunch of Amateurs
72
User Score
User reviews are not available yet
Summary Bradford Movie Makers is one of the oldest amateur filmmaking clubs in the world. Once a thriving community, these days the membership is dwindling and the group struggle to keep the wolf from the door.
Directed By: Kim Hopkins
Written By: Kim Hopkins
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
72
80% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
20% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
72
80% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
20% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
As this terrific and very moving documentary shows, the society, fuelled by bickering, biscuits and cinephilia, is a lifeline for its members, who weather bereavements, loneliness and fiercely argued creative differences within its peeling walls. Lovely stuff.
A Bunch of Amateurs is a thoughtful film about film-making and has some unexpectedly deep things to say too about camaraderie, community and male friendship – though there are a couple of women in the club’s ageing membership.
Featuring some of the group’s lovably mediocre projects, the documentary neither ridicules their so-so talent nor tries to oversell the purity of their artistic aspirations. Instead, this is a slight, wistful shrug of a picture that’s filled with resignation but also a lot of fondness.
Hopkins eschews spectacle and sentimentality while also doing away with inventive storytelling devices. A character-driven, verité approach provides a deft-enough framework to handle historical sweep and intimate moments between the club members with equal steadiness.
Like a conversation with your grandparents, the film reaches points where it can be a little bit drawn out and repetitive. But when the curtain falls on A Bunch of Amateurs, you’ll really miss these character and their stories.
User Reviews
tbd
Production Company
Labor of Love Films,
BFI Film Fund,
Screen Yorkshire
Duration 1 h 35 m
Genres
Awards
Sheffield International Documentary Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Grierson Awards
• 2 Nominations
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
