Exhibitions in Hove explore the magic of early cinema

The Film Factory in St Ann’s Well Gardens and Play Back Forward at Hove Museum of Creativity are a pair of innovative exhibitions celebrating Brighton & Hove’s pioneering cinema history this October.

Each offers opportunities to explore the groundbreaking work of local luminaries who captivated audiences worldwide with their cinematic innovations at the turn of the 20th century.

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The Film Factory

The Garden Café, St Ann’s Well Gardens

Wed 1 Oct – Sun 30 Nov 2025  

Journey back to the 1890s and unlock the early history of British film right here in St Ann’s Well Gardens. This exhibition of photographs celebrates the remarkable films created by pioneering husband-and-wife filmmakers George Albert Smith and Laura Bayley Smith, who lived and worked in the gardens between 1897 and 1903. From playful one-shot scenes to groundbreaking experiments in combining shots, the Smiths were self-taught innovators whose work led to one of the most important milestones in cinema history: the invention of film editing.

A special series of events explores the very place where their cinematic magic began.  

A talk and tour of St Ann’s Well Gardens, Where Was the Film Studio? will be led by historian Frank Gray on Sat 1 Nov (1:00pm and 2:30pm). This free, 45-minute tour explores the locations and history of filmmaking within the park.

Bertie and Laura’s Films will be screened at The Garden Café on Sat 8 and Sat 15 Nov (6:30pm). These 90-minute screenings, introduced by Frank Gray, trace their journey from stage hypnotism to multi-shot edited comedies.  

Tickets are £8/£6 from www.videoclub.org.uk  

Play Back Forward

Hove Museum of Creativity

Sat 4 Oct 2025 – Sun 12 April 2026

An invitation to engage with early film technologies through contemporary lenses, Play Back Forward is a playful, hands-on exhibition exploring the legacy of the Smiths, James Williamson, and other filmmaking pioneers. The show weaves together archival films, creative responses by local young people, and new collaborative installations by artists Chahine Fellahi and Annis Joslin, opening up new ways of seeing, sensing, and making. Early film trickery meets contemporary experiments; analogue processes and digital play collide, past technologies echo visions of the future – creating an immersive space to investigate the city’s rich film heritage.

Days of Wonder: Press Play is a hands-on creativity day for curious minds of all ages at Hove Museum of Creativity on Sat 25 Oct (11 am - 4 pm). This free event invites families, young people, adults, and anyone interested in film and media history to play with and reimagine the film archive through optical tricks, experimental animation, zine-making, and more. Activities are inspired by the Play Back Forward exhibition and include workshops led by exhibiting artists Chahine Fellahi and Annis Joslin.  

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Both exhibitions are presented as part of Days of Wonder, a three-year project exploring the heritage of film and media in Brighton & Hove. Days of Wonder is curated and produced by videoclub and Corridor in partnership with Brighton & Hove Museums and Screen Archive South East, with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and BFI/Film Hub South East  

For more information, head to: www.brightonmuseums.org.uk

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