Election (1999).

Recommended by Ethan Lamb, from Fresh Perspectives – a group of 16-25 year olds who collaborate to programme unique film screenings at Fabrica in Brighton.

Election is a high school comedy with a sardonic twist. Instead of finding the sincerity within its outlandish characters, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor find ways to laugh at its characters for their self-destructive, and occasionally sinister behaviour and expose the absurd power dynamics of American high school life. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) and Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) compete over a high school election as both of their obsessive personalities cause school wide chaos. Critically praised for its dark humour and satire but unsuccessful financially, I thought Election would be a good watch in case it has so far flown under your radar.” Ethan Lamb.

You Were Never Really Here (2017).

Recommended by Niamh Fenn, BSE Young Film Programmers

You Were Never Really Here, a 2017 thriller directed and written by Lynne Ramsay. The film tells the story of Joe, played by Joaquin Phoenix, a troubled hit man tasked with rescuing a young girl from a brothel. Whilst this premise might sound simple, the film is actually an existential character study that successfully brings you into the mind of Phoenix’s character. This is in part due to Phoenix’s performance in which he loses himself into the role but also due to the film’s reflective nature as it uses flashbacks to fully explore the character of Joe.

Lynne Ramsay is a Scottish female filmmaker with a distinctive voice and an impressive resume to back this up. Her work is interesting in that many of her films are adaptations, however she almost always finds a way to transform the work and make it her own.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Recommended by Cydney Summer Winter, Slough Young Film Programmers

I chose this film as it has no definite meaning or story line, it is up to the viewer to interpret what they are seeing. It is directed by the infamous Stanley Kubrick, one of my favourite directors and also someone that I’ve studied before.

I thought it would be a really interesting film for an audience to engage with. Available to stream on BFI Player, Amazon Prime

Slough Young Film Programmers are a group who programme screenings at The Curve, Slough.

Made In Dagenham (2010).

Recommended by Lily Haugh, Harbour Screen Young Film Programmers, Folkestone

Made in Dagenham, directed by Nigel Cole and written by William Ivory, follows the story of Rita O’Grady as she heads the first working-class women’s’ strike for equal pay. Its central cast of women are utterly compelling, good-humouredly carrying us through what proves to be an emotional rollercoaster of a film.

It is inspiring, showing what can be achieved with courage and drive, but also contains a real sense of urgency, with the fight for equal pay still ongoing. Available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Top Hat (1935)

Recommended by Yasir Kindi, Young Film Programmer, The Curve, Slough.

“I think it appeals to a wide range of audiences- those who want iconic dance sequences are in safe hands with five enjoyable sequences between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but it’s also a very funny film that provides the light touch people could want, stuck at home. In addition, it makes full use of its supporting cast with even the butlers and fashion designers in the film providing many laughs.” Available to stream on BBC iPlayer