Der Vorführ-Effekt

The Last Projectionist

June 2012 •English

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.

Going Dark: The Final Days of Film Projection

June 2013 •English

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.

Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey

November 2022 •English

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

Reel Stories: An Oral History of London's Projectionists

July 2022 •English

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

September 2022 •Catalan

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.

Retratos no Escuro

June 2025 •Portuguese

Sherlock Jr.

April 1924 •English

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.

The Projectionist

October 1970 •English

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

The Smallest Show on Earth

April 1957 •English

Jean and Bill are a married couple trying to scrape a living. Out of the blue they receive a telegram informing them Bill's long-lost uncle has died and left them his business—a cinema in the town of Sloughborough. Unfortunately they can't sell it for the fortune they hoped as they discover it is falling down and almost worthless.

Clash by Night

May 1952 •English

An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend.

Matinee

March 2024 •Malayalam

The cinema hall as a liminal space during a matinee show, and the experience it evokes.

Last Action Hero

June 1993 •English

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

October 2008 •Thai

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.

Wishful Thinking

July 1999 •English

A story told from three angles. Max meets Elizabeth; they live together, but when she talks of marriage, he balks. He becomes extremely jealous, probably without cause, and thinks she's taken up with a friend of his, Jack. Elizabeth, stung by Max's refusal to marry, catches Jack's eye, but the friendship seems innocent. Lena, who works with Max, likes him and realizes she can manipulate his jealousy and maybe engineer his split from Elizabeth. When she's sure Elizabeth is with a man, she calls Max at work, sending him home to confront the lovers. Then, Lena feels guilty and takes off for Max's apartment. What's really going on? Who's with Elizabeth?

Cigarette Burns

December 2005 •English

With a torrid past that haunts him, a movie theatre owner is hired to search for the only existing print of a film so notorious that its single screening caused the viewers to become homicidally insane.

Pearl

September 2022 •English

Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl’s ambitions, temptations, and repressions collide.

Die auf die Nüsse gehn

February 1992 •German

Comedy short about working in a movie theater.

The Serial Rape Murderer

October 1983 •Japanese

12 Years ago, Fuyuko, was 7 years old, watched her sister, a high school student, raped and choked to die. Fuyuko never forgets that the man who killed her sister has a red snake tattoo on his thigh. Suffering from the memory and deeply being traumatized, Fuyuko meets the tattooed man by accident and tries to hunt down...

Empire of Light

December 2022 •English

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.

Return to the Theatre of Terror

January 2023 •English

A mysterious projectionist in abandoned movie house plays host to a young intruder and offers him the chance to watch four spine-tingling tales of terror on the big screen.