Familiarising yourself with the behind-the-scenes of the UK’s second biggest film festival (just behind London), watching multiple screenings for free, and escaping reality for a few hours on every shift: this is what volunteering at this year’s Leeds International Film Festival looked like for me. It’s every cinephile’s dream, and I was blessed to experience it after missing the deadline to apply last year.
I worked as a Venue Assistant, where I was tasked with checking tickets, handing out the Audience Award forms, and answering any queries about the venue and festival. The 5-hour shifts were daunting initially, but it was very laidback as there would only be 2 to 3 screenings during a shift. I could choose to watch the movie that was screening or take a break and enjoy the environment. I was nervous for my first shift, but my Venue Coordinator was super sweet and a lovely introduction to the festival. I was positioned at Vue at The Light and Hyde Park Picture House. These places already felt like home, a safe haven where my worries would dissolve momentarily, and all I had to focus on was the story presented to me. Serving fellow moviegoers added a new dimension to this homeliness, it felt special to be on both sides of the cinema experience and play a part in making the festival successful.
I loved witnessing all the different personalities and faces, joined together to experience something special. An aspect that surprised me was the age range of volunteers. I imagined most of us would be under 25s, but I was pleasantly surprised to see people in their 40s and 50s, and even older. One volunteer was talking to the venue coordinator about how she just celebrated her daughter’s 40th birthday – I was so shocked! It’s heartwarming to know that the older generation, who could easily just rest at home, instead chose to spend their time making this celebration of film a success. It overjoyed me to see a representation of art transcending generations in real life. I felt that when I was talking about the festival’s free screening of “The Breakfast Club” (1985) with a fellow volunteer. She was telling me how she’s never seen it, despite the movie being released when she was in her teenage years.
Here are some brief thoughts about the films I saw during the festival:
Rent Free (2024) My first time watching a movie in a chapel, an extremely cool setting. Someone was laughing so hard throughout and clearly had the time of his life. This was fun and so very Gen Z! It highlights the problems that our generation faces without looking down on or ridiculing them.
The Breakfast Club (1985) This is a coming of age classic and my dad claims it’s a must watch, but I thought it was just okay. Perhaps this is trivial, but I could not convince myself that Judd Nelson was playing a teenager! That is very much a highschooler in his mid-twenties.
The Weekend (2024) Another one that I felt ambivalent about. The concept is intriguing, but the inconsistent tone threw me off.
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) I’m not one to rave about musicals, they tend to be hit or miss for me. This one absolutely blew me away though. Visually, this is such a singular movie – it’s been seven decades since release and truly, no other movie looks like this. It’s an outpour of sincerity and heart, I can see why it’s cherished by many.
Don’t Cry, Butterfly (2024) Sweet and surreal. I love a good mother-daughter dynamic, and how they have more similarities with each other than they realise. My home country, Malaysia, was mentioned! But they were talking about a witchcraft ritual that some Malaysian women execute as a love potion… Well, a win is a win. Representation is representation!
Dead Talents Society (2024) I love this so deeply and I need to see it 10 more times. Found family trope, absurdity, comedy, horror, it’s got everything I could ever want from a movie. It’s clear why this was a crowd favourite – it’s hilarious, while having the ability to cut so deeply. One of the topics that it addresses is the intense pressure felt by Asian children to succeed in school. It’s not enough to get straight A’s. Somehow you need to succeed in extracurriculars too, balance your time effectively, without losing your mind. I saw my childhood reflected in this movie, and I’m sure many other Asians that watched this felt the same way. This movie also discusses legacy, what we leave behind when we pass away, and self-worth. In theory, it would be difficult to execute a movie like this. Attempting to dissect multiple ideas at once can result in a film that is muddy and unsure of what its thesis statement is. (A recent film that blunders at this is the infamous Emilia Perez) However, Dead Talents Society balances various topics surrounding life and death, as well as genres, seamlessly. There was so much love put into this movie, and it shows.
Occasionally, it was a struggle to balance my shifts, watching movies, and university work simultaneously. It was absolutely worth it though. Not only did I get to watch some really good cinema (for free!), but I also played my part in ensuring a safe space for cinephiles across Leeds ran smoothly. It was so fulfilling, and I’m looking forward to volunteering again this year!