About

The Biggest Film Collectors’ Convention in the UK

The Blackpool Film Collectors’ Convention has been held in the resort since the 1970s. Originally organised and run by film dealers, the convention has been managed by a team of film collectors and enthusiasts since 2022. It is now regarded as the premier event in the UK for lovers of ‘real film’ – collectors of movies released primarily on the Super 8 and 16mm gauges.

Held at the Grand Hotel situated on Blackpool’s North Promenade, the event takes place over a full weekend in November. The weekend starts on Friday evening with a film show in the hotel – typically the programme includes a variety of short films, cartoons and trailers in addition to the main feature film. For the first time in 2022 the Friday evening film show was projected on 35mm, and in 2023, in honour of the gauge’s 100th anniversary, we projected the show on 16mm.

Saturday is given over to film shows throughout the day, with collectors bringing their own reels for projection, on Super 8 and 16mm. The Friday night and Saturday day-time film shows have been increasing in popularity and were so well-attended in 2022 that we moved to a larger screening room in 2023. Entry to the Friday night and Saturday day-time film shows is completely free of charge.

Saturday night is when the Blackpool Film Collectors’ Dinner takes place. This celebrated event sees collectors gathered from across the UK and overseas, and we regularly welcome guests from Belgium, Germany, Northern Ireland, Scandinavia and the USA. There’s always a film quiz – with rounds taking place between the dinner’s three courses – and a raffle with extremely generous prizes, which generally include features and short films (on Super 8 and 16mm), film projectors, souvenirs and movie memorabilia. It’s also a great opportunity to meet up with others that share a passion for film. The dinner always concludes with a film show on either Super 8 or 16mm, in which a volunteer presents some entertaining gems from their collection. It’s a fun evening that’s unlikely to end before midnight!

Co-organiser of the 2023 Convention, David Watson, projects the Saturday evening film show in 2016 on his Fumeo 9145 Super 8 projector.

For many people, the Sunday Film Fair is the highlight of the Convention weekend. Dealers in attendance offer a range of 8mm, Super 8, 16mm and even 35mm films, projectors, lenses, accessories and books. In addition, there’s a bring-and-buy stall and auction – feel free to bring your own films or equipment to sell. It’s just the place to pick up that elusive film you’ve been looking for, a bargain… or both!

Throughout the day, we will be running a series of film shows in a separate screening room, with a varied programme including some of the latest Super 8 releases. Food and refreshments are available from the hotel and there’s a comfortable seating area in the hotel foyer that makes it a perfect place to catch up with friends and show off your purchases.

Whether you attend for a single day, or the whole weekend, The Blackpool Film Collectors’ Convention is the most prestigious event of its type in the UK.