The festive season is here bearing the inevitable question of what gifts to buy for your friends and family. Film lovers may seem like an easy person to buy for as a simple DVD or a trip to the cinema can do the job, but a problem arises when they’re engulfed in a niche that the average person only knows so much about. If you’re looking to gift your film loving friend something outside-of-the-box then this is the list for you!
Mubi tote bag
If you’ve spent long enough in arthouse cinemas such as Manchester’s HOME, you’ll have seen this navy-blue beacon swinging on the shoulders of a twentysomething filmgoer. Depicting the logo of the highly curated streaming service Mubi, to which gift subscriptions are also available, this tote is striking in its simplicity and is a perfect gift for any film lover. Trust us on this one, if your friend is into film beyond the Marvels and Christopher Nolans of the world, then this is bound to be a winner.
Cultplex annual membership
If you thought that cinema memberships could only be found at the multiplexes then you’d be mistaken, in fact many independent cinemas rely on memberships to keep going. In Manchester, you’ll find the HOME cinema pass which provides great value at £18 a month allowing you to see as many films as you like but here, we’re highlighting the Cultplex annual membership.
At only £30 for the whole year, you get a free cinema ticket and popcorn once a month in addition to other benefits such as regular discounts and a special pin badge. For those unfamiliar with this hidden gem of Manchester’s cinema scene, Cultplex hosts a range of events from director double bills, to forgotten genre classics, to regular film quizzes and can be found just a short walk from Manchester Victoria station.
Filmic artwork
Posters are always a go-to gift for any film fans and whilst there are an abundance of places you can purchase film artwork from HMV to shops in Afflecks, here we want to showcase Cite – Manchester’s very own ‘scene based art prints’. Cite are special as they go beyond the generic film poster look spotlighting specific scenes in films in their very distinctive art style. They have art prints ranging from films such as: The Big Lebowski, The Truman Show, La Haine and so much more. In particular we want to avert your focus on our favourite of the bunch being their Donnie Darko A4 print. Not only does their artwork look fantastic but they sustainably print their designs on recycled card.
Little White Lies magazine subscription
As a reader of The Mancunion, it’s hoped that you may care about print media and so what better way to celebrate this unfortunately dwindling medium than with a gifted subscription to your favourite independent magazine.
Whilst Sight & Sound may be the obvious choice for film lovers and a great one nonetheless, we recommend Little White Lies for its unique issues which dive deep into single films giving us quality reviews and interviews. Its design is stellar, so much so that it recently had a micro exhibition celebrating its cover art, yet equally the level of research and original thought in its criticism is just as remarkable.
Film-themed stationery
A perfect stocking filler, these film-themed notepads reference the fictional settings of their particular films in a clever yet subtle manner. They have a small range but we’re highlighting the horror set which includes a trio of notepads, one of which is their ‘Overlook Hotel’ notepad based on The Shining. Your film lover friends will appreciate the thoughtfulness in these, and you can sleep peacefully knowing you haven’t broken the bank to make their cinematic love feel seen. These little notepads are useful, cheap, and most importantly, light-hearted fun.
Criterion boxset
Criterion is perhaps the DVD brand for cinephiles. Their choices are famously curated, with only the ‘finest’ films making their list. Not only do their DVDs look glorious but they frequently contain illuminating essays and are always guaranteed to have been made using the best quality images, often restoring older films in a meticulous process to release them as they’re supposed to be seen.
Whilst their single DVD offerings are some of the best on the market, where they truly shine is in their boxsets. Our pick is the stunning ‘World of Wong Kar Wai’ which will set you back an eye-watering £170 but anything from their collection is worthy of being housed in any film lover’s personal library.
Film-themed coffee table book
For a friend who is into the art and design behind films or even just someone who has a particularly stylish apartment, a film-themed coffee table book is a safe bet. Archive is the new book covering the span of Sofia Coppola’s career through her own words, featuring detailed notes, photographs and sketches. It’s our recommendation in this category with its bold pink cover and simplistic type face that will give your living room that extra pop.
Not a Sofia Coppola fan? Perhaps this Spike Lee monograph, simply titled SPIKE, is more your thing.
Film soundtrack on vinyl
The intersect of music and film couldn’t have come together more splendidly than in the form of your film friend’s favourite movie soundtrack. Imagine you’re not just gifting them the pleasure of music, but perhaps the experience of dancing around their bedroom to their favourite soundtrack. Plus you have the added bonus of giving them a makeshift poster as the 12-inch cover art doubles as wonderful decoration for their living space.
Whilst there are hundreds of superb film soundtracks that exist, in this guide we want to draw your attention to Studio Ghibli’s delightful My Neighbor Totoro soundtrack. This edition comes with liner notes and 4 pages of illustrations. Joe Hisaishi’s beautifully composed music can then be fully adored by your film loving friend.
SCRT clothing
Frequently collaborating with film institutions such as MASSIVE Cinema and the aforementioned Mubi, SCRT is an independent streetwear brand whose collections frequently take inspiration from the world of cinema. They’re the brand behind last year’s iconic Aftersun t-shirt (which was unfortunately only available in a handful of giveaways) and have recently come out with capsules based on films as varied as La Haine and 1995’s Ghost in the Shell.
In theory, you could be dressed head to toe in their clothes, but we recommend one of their classic and consistently striking graphic tees such as this Lost in Translation inspired piece.
Festive film screening
Finally, a film lover’s gift guide wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the cinema and whilst it’s the holidays, why not choose a Christmas classic to go to. The likelihood is your local cinema will be running screenings of films such as It’s a Wonderful Life or Elf but if you want to make it extra-special, look out for live-orchestra showings which really make this a memorable gift. In Manchester, there are screenings of The Holiday, Home Alone and Love Actually showing at The Bridgewater Hall all with a live orchestra score accompaniment.
