Der Vorführ-Effekt

Reel Stories: An Oral History of London's Projectionists

2022 · ★ 8

Documentary charting the experiences of projectionists who work or worked in cinemas in London, exploring the skills and dedication required for this unique role, set against changes in technology, society, and entertainment.

The Diary of a Projectionist

2022

This is the story of my grandfather, Tiago Florit, who for 50 years was a film operator at the Teatre Principal de Maó, in Menorca. It is a review of his life, from his birth to his death, in a cinematographic key. A true love story to cinema.

Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey

2022 · ★ 8

A 'cine-ramic' roller-coaster ride through the rise, fall and re-birth of projected film.

Entertaining an Evening Projectionist

2026

How do you entertain yourself while entertaining others? A short documentary about a nighttime projectionist passing the time.

The Last Projectionist

2012

When the UK's oldest working cinema opened in 1909, it took five years to train a projectionist - a century later, it takes less than an hour. The Last Projectionist charts the amazing history of UK independent cinema, taking a tour of some of the most magical picture houses in the world, all centred around The Electric in Birmingham, the oldest working cinema in Britain.

Portraits in the Dark

An ode to projection in cinema, from the work of the projectionist to the machines that light up the theaters.

Going Dark: The Final Days of Film Projection

2013

Hollywood has made up their minds, forcing theaters to convert to digital or go dark. As theaters around the world change to newer digital technology, the job of the 35mm film projectionist is becoming irrelevant. Going Dark profiles two theater projectionists during their final days on the job.

Empire of Light

2022 · ★ 6.6

The duty manager of a seaside cinema, who is struggling with her mental health, forms a relationship with a new employee on the south coast of England in the 1980s.

Roll Out

2014

After not being recognized by an actress with whom he worked twenty years ago, a projectionist films himself and introduces himself into a film to revive the past.

Last Action Hero

1993 · ★ 6.5

After his father's death, a young boy finds solace in action movies featuring an indestructible cop. Given a magic ticket by a theater manager, he is transported into the film and teams up with the cop to stop a villain who escapes into the real world.

Coming Soon

2008 · ★ 6.3

Two projectionists discover a disturbing film featuring the lynching of a woman. Not only are they troubled by the content of the movie, but strange events befall them following the viewing.

The Projectionist

1970 · ★ 5.9

A projectionist bored with his everyday life begins fantasizing about his being one of the superheroes he sees in the movies he shows.