Editor

This summer, Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) will present the third consecutive STATE OF THE ART CINEMA exhibition, free to the public.

Film fans will once again be able to enjoy a snapshot of contemporary poster design and photography supporting a wide range of films to be released in UK cinemas in the coming months. For the first time, the exhibition will include as its centrepiece an incredible, custom-built model of a cinema made from LEGO® bricks, commissioned by FDA. Visitors will also be able to download a free app to their mobile phones that will offer exclusive video content, bringing the film posters to life.

The exhibition will comprise seven sections:  Family releases; Coming of Age stories; Action & Adventure; Comedy; Biographies & Documentaries; Thrills & Suspense; and a large section called Britain on Screen containing images from both UK films and international movies that were made in the UK, a global filmmaking hub. Visitors will find a few iconic classic images among the display too.

STATE OF THE ART CINEMA 2015 will be resident at two central London locations, Tuesday 21 July – Friday 7 August at The Coningsby Gallery and Tuesday 11 – Friday 28 August at The Strand Gallery.

Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE, FDA President, said:  “FDA’s latest exhibition is a wonderfully dynamic showcase of the essential skills of designers and photographers in connecting films with audiences. A great poster catches the eye, tempts the mind and touches the heart, and I passionately hope this new collection will delight and inspire many visitors. It’s a timely reminder, as the peak holiday season approaches, that the cinema experience offers a vast array of pleasures.”

The exhibition is taking place at the heart of FDA’s celebrations marking the centenary of UK film distribution. Exactly 100 years ago, feature-length films were emerging as a storytelling medium in their own right, two decades after the original invention of the cinématographe machine. It was in December 1915 that the fledgling yet ambitious enterprises dedicated to supplying and promoting filmed entertainment founded their UK trade association (now FDA).

In celebration of the centenary, this year’s STATE OF THE ART CINEMA exhibition will host a “memories board”, displaying recollections posted on an FDA website by members of the public, recalling their earliest or most influential cinema visits.