News
[MENTION]
VAREITY
A BUNCH OF AMATEURS wins grand jury prize for best feature documentary at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
[MENTION]
GRIERSON
A BUNCH OF AMATEURS Nominated for two Grierson Awards for Best Entertaining Documentary & Best Cinema Documentary
[MENTION]
BAFTA
A BUNCH OF AMATEURS longlisted for Documentary
https://www.bafta.org/film/longlists-2023-ee-BAFTA-film-awards#British%20Film
[MENTION]
THE GUARDIAN
A ‘warm and heartfelt ode to the golden age of cinema’
[Interview]
STEPH’S PACKED LUNCH
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/stephs-packed-lunch/on-demand/74264-068
[MENTION]
KEIGHLEY NEWS
‘This terrific and very moving documentary shows how the society – fuelled by bickering, biscuits and cinephilia – is a lifeline for its members who weather bereavements, loneliness and fiercely argued creative differences within its peeling walls. The director finds comedy in their idiosyncratic passion, without ever being mean or mocking’
[MENTION]
THE LEIGH JOURNAL
The film has received ‘rave reviews at national and international film festivals’
[MENTION]
HALIFAX COURIER
‘The film shines an affectionate spotlight on Bradford Movie Makers, established in 1932 and one of Northern England’s last remaining amateur filmmaking clubs’
[MENTION]
TELEGRAPH AND ARGUS
‘The award-winning film, by director Kim Hopkins and producer Margareta Szabo of York-based Labor of Love Films, has gained international recognition for its humour, warmth, pathos, and unwrapping of life itself.’
[MENTION]
HELLO!
‘A Bunch of Amateurs is the most charming film of the year - a true story of everyday folk fighting against the tide and the bonds that are formed in even the quirkiest of communities. You’ll laugh for sure but be prepared for tears too. A Bunch of Amateurs will warm the most cynical of hearts’
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20221117157213/best-films-to-watch-winter-cinema-streaming/
[REVIEW + Interview]
iNews
https://inews.co.uk/culture/bradfords-amateur-film-makers-meeting-90-years-now-theyre-stars-1971264
[REVIEW]
BRIG NEWS
‘The film had an uncanny ability to be hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. The Northern charm of the people involved made them effortlessly funny with quick wit and one-liners [...] A BUNCH OF AMATEURS shows that the mundane isn’t mundane, and that every single person has a story to tell.’
https://brignews.com/2022/11/14/a-bunch-of-amateurs-a-heartfelt-heartbreaking-look-into-cinema/
[MENTION]
BFI NEWSLETTER
On the watchlist: ‘While A BUNCH OF AMATEURS initially appears to fit neatly into the tradition of amusing studies of English eccentrics, it deepens into a touching reflection on the importance of cinema and community for an ageing population whose lives are too often isolated and lacking in purpose’
[MENTION]
SUNDAY TIMES
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-to-watch-on-tv-this-week-3v3xlvf2g
[REVIEW]
THE OBSERVER
‘Terrific and very moving documentary [...] lovely stuff’
[BMM Coverage]
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-63558419
[REVIEW]
MARK KERMODE
Mark Kermode reviews A Bunch of Amateurs - Kermode and Mayo’s Take
[REVIEW]
FILM STORIES
‘A joyous monument to the power of community, and a love-letter to a filmmaking collective long since past its prime, Kim Hopkins’ new film is the kind of classic underdog story you suspect happens behind closed doors every day. If you ever needed a reason to find hope in humanity, here it is.’
[REVIEW]
LITTLE WHITE LIES
‘A wistful reflection on the power of cinema and community in the face of adversity’
https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-bunch-of-amateurs/
[REVIEW]
WE LOVE CINEMA
‘Kim Hopkins' compelling, sensitive doc about the Bradford Movie Makers triumphs as a celebration of both community and cinephilia’
https://we-love-cinema.com/reviews/a-bunch-of-amateurs/
[REVIEW]
DAILY MAIL
‘Eccentric, passionate, engagingly daft’
[REVIEW]
THE SUN
‘The community spirit brought to light by director Kim Hopkins, is a reminder that Britain is full of truly beautiful souls’
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/20379836/a-bunch-of-amateurs-review/
[REVIEW]
CITY A.M
‘A tribute to both amateur passion and cinema as a whole, A BUNCH OF AMATEURS is a reminder that the reason for creativity can be as powerful as the art itself’
https://www.cityam.com/a-bunch-of-amateurs-is-the-cinema-documentary-we-need-right-now/
[REVIEW]
MORNING STAR
‘Writer-director Kim Hopkins’ glorious documentary examines our overriding need for contact and connection regardless of age and circumstance’
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/film-round-maria-duarte-33
[REVIEW]
TIME OUT
‘Kim Hopkins’ documentary is just the kind of scrappy, everyman story that will go down a treat for the masses’
https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-bunch-of-amateurs-2022
[REVIEW]
SIGHT AND SOUND
‘The Bradford Movie Makers celebrate their 90th anniversary this year, but how many years do they have left? We only know one thing for sure: they will make the most of every moment.’
https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bunch-amateurs-affectionate-ode-cinephilia
[REVIEW]
FAR OUT
‘Hopkins’ documentary is both heartfelt and hilarious, emphasising the importance of art, friendship and community’
[REVIEW]
THE GUARDIAN
‘Kim Hopkins’ thoughtful documentary about the Bradford Movie Makers club has some unexpectedly deep things to say about camaraderie, community and male friendship’
[REVIEW]
FILM NEWS
‘This is a wonderful, uplifting, touching film that puts the very best of humanity to the fore, even as the members squabble over technical filming issues, acting and money’
https://www.film-news.co.uk/review/UK/5068/Cinema/A-Bunch-of-Amateurs
[REVIEW]
CLOSE UP FILM
‘A great story with some lovely characters’
https://close-upfilm.co.uk/a-bunch-of-amateurs-12a-review
[REVIEW]
MATURE TIMES
‘Affectionate, tongue-in-cheek and joyous’
[REVIEW]
THE SCOTSMAN
‘A sometimes heartening, sometimes exasperating exploration of the power of filmmaking’
[MENTION]
LONDON NET
‘This affectionate documentary celebrates the power of art to shape communities by following members of the club as they relish human connections in an increasingly lonely, digital age’
https://www.londonnet.co.uk/top-films/top-3-films-of-the-week-8-nov-2022/
[REVIEW]
THE UPCOMING
‘Beautifully simple and nostalgic’
https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2022/11/07/a-bunch-of-amateurs-movie-review/
[MENTION]
TELEGRAPH AND ARGUS
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23092604.homecoming-premiere-a-bunch-amateurs/
[REVIEW]
SHADOWS ON THE WALL
‘A remarkably astute look at a vital group of cineastes and the moviegoing world that's shifting around them’
http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/22/d12.htm
[MENTION]
DEADLINE
https://ubiquarian.net/2022/06/review-a-bunch-of-amateurs-2021/
[MENTION]
VARIETY
https://variety.com/2022/film/global/metfilm-republic-film-distribution-1235386508/
[MENTION]
SCREEN
[REVIEW]
UBIQUARIAN
‘A BUNCH OF AMATEURS is a deftly made documentary with noble intentions that is worth seeing’
https://ubiquarian.net/2022/06/review-a-bunch-of-amateurs-2021/
[REVIEW]
SCREEN DAILY - EDINBURGH REVIEW
https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-bunch-of-amateurs-edinburgh-review/5173462.article?fbclid=IwAR0r8ejXZYxnnuikk-tkvQIZhmuY4GPbSozcesY794sKD17KNTusmTocS-k
“few documentaries seem so well-positioned to be embraced by film-lovers”
“a nice reminder that, like all kinds of love, cinephilia isn’t so easy to extinguish.”
“Kim Hopkins’ winning documentary”
“crowd-pleasing”
[BMM Coverage + Interview]
THE GUARDIAN
“one of the most heartfelt, humorous and engaging documentaries I have seen in a long time, and one that I have no doubt will find a place in the heart of every audience member it touches”
[REVIEW + Interview]
CINERAMA FILM
[Interview]
BUSINESS DOC EUROPE
https://businessdoceurope.com/sheffield-docfest-a-bunch-of-amateurs-by-kim-hopkins/
[REVIEW]
“A thoroughly moving and ultimately joyful affair”
CINEUROPA
https://www.cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/427330
[MENTION]
“Sheffield DocFest reveals 2022 film and pitch winners”
SCREEN DAILY
Sheffield DocFest reveals 2022 film and pitch winners | News | Screen
[REVIEW]
“Hopkins’ directorial style stays very close, making you a part of their conversation rather than simply feeling like an observer, it puts you alongside them and succinctly tells things from their perspective.”
FILM CARNAGE (8*/10*)
https://filmcarnage.com/2022/06/25/review-a-bunch-of-amateurs/
[REVIEW]
“A Bunch of Amateurs is a sweet and heartwarming story of a collective of misfits brought together by a love of films. The clubhouse is much more than just a place to meet, it’s a second home. This sense of community shines through in Kim Hopkins’ film. A lively mix of dry Yorkshire humour and subtle regret pervades throughout. A Bunch of Amateurs will make you laugh and cry. And maybe, just maybe, inspire you to join your local club.”
BACKSEAT MAFIA
https://www.backseatmafia.com/sheffield-doc-fest-review-a-bunch-of-amateurs/
[REVIEW]
SLAKERCINEMA
http://www.slackercinema.com/?fbclid=IwAR3UBA2LHEcgu2QnLk5HAnmzgJ6HJvaNdNKbhg7mnGUX4nIQ5uAI3epGpBE
[REVIEW]
(ESP) SHEFFIELD DOC FEST 2022: HAFREIAT Y A BUNCH OF AMATEURS DESIST FILM
SHEFFIELD DOC FEST 2022: HAFREIAT YA BUNCH OF AMATEURS – desistfilm
[Press Release]
MetFilm Boards Sheffield Doc Fest Feature ‘A Bunch Of Amateurs’ (EXCLUSIVE)
VARIETY
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/metfilm-boards-a-bunch-of-amateurs-1235300684/