Dear Members:

You may already have heard that Chelmsford City Theatres has closed its theatres, the Civic and Cramphorn Studio, with immediate effect in order to help contain the spread of the Coronavirus – COVID-19.

As a result, I write to inform you that the rest of the Chelmsford Film Club season is abandoned, with just five more films due to be shown.  It is now a priority to protect the health of the public by avoiding public gatherings, and most organisations & clubs such as Chelmsford Film Club will be suspending their activities.

On behalf of the organising Committee, may I take this opportunity of thanking you for your continued support and encouragement this season and in the past.  I hope you will agree with me that it has been a very successful one, with some great movies. Certainly this has been reflected in the positive response slips handed in at the end of the screenings, and in the comments made at the well-attended ‘Discussion Event’ held after the showing of ‘Custody’ in January.

Many thanks to all of you who submitted your film choices, which will go towards putting together a season for 2020/21, something the Committee will be working on in the coming weeks.  We will also be considering the five films which have had to be cancelled this season, such as the outstanding ‘Parasite’.

I’m sure you will all agree that cancelling the current programme, the first time this has happened in the Club’s thirty-two year history, is unavoidable and the right thing to do while we all try to deal with the current crisis, and stay fit and well.

We are aware that each of our members has paid for a full season’s membership which at the moment we are unable to deliver.  We will address this aspect when the ongoing situation becomes clearer.

Looking forward to seeing you all in due course.

Peter Bunyan

Chair – Chelmsford Film Club