Film fans vote Coventry University’s student cinema the UK’s best.

A student film society at Coventry University has come out tops in a national awards ceremony celebrating the best of community cinema.

Coventry East Asian Film Society was voted ‘Best Student Cinema in the UK’ at Cinema for All’s Film Society of the Year Awards 2014, which took place at the Showroom Workstation in Sheffield on Saturday 27 September.

It is the second time in the past three years that Coventry University has triumphed at the awards, which showcase the work of community cinemas across the country and celebrate the passion and commitment of their devoted and enthusiastic volunteers

Now in their 45th year, the Cinema for All Awards run by the British Federation of Film Societies take place alongside the Cinema for All National Conference for Community Cinemas – a weekend long celebration of volunteer-led cinema and the UK’s biggest gathering of film societies, village screens and film clubs.

The judging panel of film buffs and critics at this year’s awards unanimously voted Coventry as best student cinema for its tireless efforts and inclusive approach to introducing UK audiences to East Asian cinema and culture.

Established in 2009, Coventry East Asian Film Society champions an eclectic selection of cinema from the Far East, culminating in its yearly East Winds Film Festival. Run in collaboration with Coventry University and Third Window Films, the annual festival celebrates East Asian film and culture through a selection of international, European and UK premieres from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.

This year’s festival – the fourth of its kind to be hosted by the society – runs at the University’s campus from Friday 31 October to Monday 2 November and, as in previous years, offers a diverse collection of films ranging from star-studded action packed blockbusters and chilling horrors to touching dramas and screwball comedies.

Spencer Murphy, lecturer in film and visual culture at Coventry University and founder of its East Asian Film Society said of the award: “We’re delighted to have been voted the Best Student Cinema by the British Federation of Film Societies. It’s a real honour and a testament to the hard work, dedication and passion of all our student members.

“It really is wonderful news especially as we are just about to launch our fourth East Winds Film Festival which will once again bring a broad selection of premiere screenings of popular East Asian cinema to Coventry.”