About Us
The Story
Sometimes in life, when conditions are right, amazing things happen. When a promoter, with knowledge and interest in film, met a sound man with an interest in providing local people with a cinema, it seemed only natural they should work together, and so without much further ado, Screen 17 was born. What could be better than giving Waltham Forest what it has been asking for ….a local regular cinema.
The Venue
Undaunted by the task of finding a suitable venue for our enterprise, we quickly found Orford House, a Grade II listed, neo-classical Regency villa. It is primarily a private member’s bowling club and bar but had recently started to hire out its comfortable ballroom for a variety of private functions. Being such an impressive local landmark we feel privileged to be able to use its facilities for the benefit of the wider local community.
The venue can only seat 90 people and is regularly sold out for our evening screenings. The seating consists of both fixed booths and individual chairs, as well as large floor beanbags at the very front for the Junior Film Club. Refreshments include fair-trade tea/coffee, organic fruit juices and hotdogs as well as freshly prepared salty and sweet popcorn. This is made to our own, completely natural recipe on site in our wonderful popcorn machine with nothing artificial added at all!
For the evening screenings the venue has a licensed bar so you can relax and watch a film with a drink in your hand and stay behind afterwards as the bar remains open until 11pm.
(Please note that the Club does not allow food and/or drink to be brought onto the premises)
Screen 17 uses Blu-Ray film discs where the titles are available in that format. Our sound system is of top quality and we back project onto an 8’x6’ screen for a more professional experience.
The Team
Our objectives are clear and there is no particular agenda behind Screen 17, just the intention to entertain and create wonderfully inviting events for local people of all tastes. It is worth remembering, however, that Waltham Forest is one of only two London Boroughs without a dedicated operating cinema. We very much feel, therefore, that we are keeping cinema alive in Waltham Forest, which after all has a fine and distinguished history of contributing to the development of film.
Nick Bertram
Co-founder and promoter of Vintage Cabaraoke, Walthamstow’s sell-out themed club night, Nick is no stranger to hosting and marketing entertainment events. He has been resident in Walthamstow for 13 years and has seen some very positive cultural developments locally within that time but still felt there was room for more. Determined to bring a fresh approach to the traditional club night, Nick and Joanne launched Vintage Cabaraoke in September 2011.
Highlighted in The Guardian’s Saturday Guide as its’ “Pick of the Clubs” and receiving local press coverage, Vintage Cabaraoke has performed at the 2011 Vintage Festival on London’s South Bank Centre and also at a Rich Mix Festival in Shoreditch.
Nick’s training as an actor and subequent work at the late Museum of the Moving Image on London’s South Bank has left him with a lasting knowledge and love of film and he is very excited to be dealing with the press/pr and marketing operations for Screen 17.
Ian Simpson
Creator of Fresh ‘n’ Live, Walthamstow’s most successful open-mic nights to date, Ian is also a sound engineer and head of Location Audio, a local sound hire company aimed specifically at Creatives.
Ian has been working with sound and production for over 25 years. He started his career as house engineer for The Rock Garden and Gardening Club in London’s Covent Garden and quickly went on to other London venues, including Dingwalls and Jongleurs Comedy Club. He also has experience in theatre, working on Starlight Express for 3 years and as theatre manager on various luxury cruise ships.
Ian’s passion, however, is promoting. Fresh ‘n’ Live was his last venture here in E17. Gabrielle, his partner at the time and singer-songwriter wanted to perform locally so Ian convinced Roger, the then landlord of The Castle, to let them host London’s first smoke-free music night. “It will never work” said Roger. The rest is history – Fresh ‘n’ Live quickly became London’s most talked about open-mic nights.
Ian runs his own recording studio in E17, location recording business, and PA hire- company, as well as working as a sound designer for choreographers.
Ian is the ‘backstage’ half of the partnership, handling all the technical and production aspects.
Thanks
Our thanks go to some very bighearted and supportive individuals. They include:
- Brenda Clow at the Orford House Social Club
- Chris Gartside for the website
- George Nott at WF Guardian
- Ianto Davies (printer extraordinaire)
- Joanne Bertram
- Jonathan Lloyd
- Jon Shore at Videogramtv.com for intro dvd
- Laura Kerry and the team at the E17 Art Trail
- Marcus Shepherd
- Nick Bason at Walthamstow Scene
- Pam Hutchinson at Silent London
- Paul Johnstone at OTM create
- Rhian Whitehead at Scribble & Smudge
