RepCinema meets the Tufnell Park Film Club

How long have you been going?

We started TPFC in July 2012 with an inaugural screening of Robert Altman's The Player. Which seemed a fitting film to kick things off with!

It’s a very varied and friendly bunch, with an age-range from early 20s to late 80s. The vast majority are local who walk to the club from home, though it has been known for people to venture from as far away as Wood Green - and even South London. One regular makes a weekly commute from Chingford!

Is the club independent of the venue?

We run the club independently of the venue, The Star in N19, but with their full support and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. The Star is a great community pub so we love supporting them - and they give our members a nice 10% food discount on a film club night. There's been a few venue changes for TPFC over the years, so it's lovely to be back there.

What approach do you take to programming?

We do our best to abide by Billy Wilder's commandment, 'Thou shalt not bore!'. So, it could be anything from a Hollywood classic, a forgotten gem or a cult favourite. The twist is that every two weeks the film is linked to the one screened a fortnight before.

We select three films somehow connected to that week's screening, and afterwards the audience vote for which one we show next - to give us a kind of never-ending double-bill. For example, this week we screened Night Tide - in which Dennis Hopper plays a sailor on shore leave who falls in love with a mermaid. Night Tide had won the hello sailor!-themed vote from two weeks previously when we showed Pool of London (beating Lady from Shanghai and On the Town).  The link from Night Tide was Hopper! with three films from three stages of his career: Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider and True Romance. Rebel Without a Cause won the vote so that's what we'll be screening in two weeks time.

Afterwards, we have to come up with a link and three more films to put up for the vote after the screening of Rebel' (the link this time is almost certainly going to be Troubled Teens/Adolescent Angst. The three films up for the vote are yet TBD.) When considering links and nominations we try to come up with a selection as interesting and varied as possible. Anything is up for grabs regardless of age, genre or country of origin. So that's the Chain. Every link of which can be seen here. 

The TPFC team with director Robin Hardy

On the alternate weeks we'll show something connected to a recent event or as part of a festival - or, more often than not, tribute screenings to the recently departed. Recently we showed The Conversation in tribute to Gene Hackman and All Dolled Up in tribute to David Johansen. Coming up we've got the The Doors in tribute to Val Kilmer and Wake in Fright in tribute to Ted Kotcheff. The Reaper keeps us busy!

What's your screening set-up?

We recently crowd-funded our ridiculously generous members and raised more than £1,000 for a new projector and comfier chairs. It’s an HD projector, with a nice big fixed-screen on the wall, blu-ray and stereo AV receiver. 

How often do you screen each month?

Every Tuesday night! 

TPFC screenings in May - click image to go to their site

How much is membership?

Annual membership is £20 and gets you a year’s worth of free weekly screenings - we've just set up an FAQ page on our website with details on membership, etc.

What else does the venue offer in terms of events?

Lots - quiz, board games night etc. Take a look here 

©repcinema.com 2025