For many young people, independent cinema can feel intimidating or inaccessible, but FACT's Young Film Programmer Trainee, Ella-Mei Burns, is working to change that.

In this interview with Manon Euler, Head of Film at Film Hub North, Ella-Mei reflects on discovering FACT as a teenager, how that experience shaped her approach to programming, and why creating welcoming spaces for young audiences matters. She also shares the thinking behind STASHED, FACT's monthly film night curated with a group of Young Film Programmers, where overlooked films, cult classics and hidden gems are rediscovered through collective viewing and conversation.

Read on to discover Ella-Mei’s honest insights into what it means to build a film programme that puts community, curiosity and young people at its heart.

What was your experience with film growing up?

I'm from Wales, and my closest cinema growing up was about forty minutes to an hour away. It was rare that we’d go out and watch a movie, so it was a really special thing when we did. Most of my film experience was getting my family and friends together at home to watch a DVD. I would do that every year on my birthday. Watching a film is still a very sacred activity for me.

Did you have any experience with film at FACT before starting your role?

I was kind of unsure about FACT before I came in for the first time. I was used to going to more mainstream cinema chains, and I remember thinking, “Oh it’s not for people like me. I’m not really into indie cinema,” or “It’s an art space”. It was my friend who introduced me when I was about 13, and I realised it was brilliant, and was for me. I’ve been coming ever since.

When I turned 16, I was all over the 16-25 ticket. It was only a fiver, so that saved me a lot of money. I would mainly watch films that I wasn’t seeing programmed anywhere else, although I knew nothing about programming at that point. I had no idea that someone would choose the films.

What made you apply for the role of Young Film Programmer Trainee?

I saw the opportunity get posted on Instagram, and I had it in my saved tab for the longest time. I remember naively thinking “I’ll get to watch films all day”. I didn’t know anything about programming at that point, I just knew I wanted to go for it. I have a background in organising events and workshops, and the role felt like it married two of my favourite things, community building and cinema. It was like an extension of me hosting film nights for friends and family all those years ago, but on a bigger scale.

It felt really special to be able to come into a venue that I grew up visiting and watching films in and now I get to represent young people here. So often I’d go into screenings and notice that I was the youngest person in the room. I didn’t know that indie or arthouse cinema existed until I finally came into FACT and realised that the film programme was much wider and broader than I ever thought it was going to be. I watched so many things that really had an impact on me growing up and part of me wanted to make a space that invites young people to have that same experience.

What is STASHED and why are films being STASHED at FACT?

STASHED is a monthly film programme which takes place at FACT, centred around community, discovery and rediscovery, curated by myself and a group of young film programmers. When I was coming up with the name, I wanted people to feel like a treasure chest was being hidden away inside FACT. A secret stash of films that you either didn’t know existed or you’ve heard of but never seen. Maybe they flopped at the box office, being revived thanks to streaming services, or from becoming a meme.

STASHED has a different offer to other film programmes in Liverpool, and we really want people to come to FACT and have fun finding little nuggets of gold in these films.

I know there's an interactive social at every film screening. Can you talk a bit about the decision to have that as part of STASHED?

Building a sense of community, especially for young cinema-lovers, is a big thing for me. I remember going into the development stage questioning how we get fifty people together, make everybody feel welcome, and make it feel like a place where you can share your thoughts on the films and even the programme itself.

I know there are films that young people are discovering and loving but haven’t experienced in a cinema before. That was a really important focus, when building STASHED. How does the big screen and being around other cinema-goers impact your experience? The rise of streaming has made it easier to passively watch films, so it’s really important to me to get people actively engaging with the film and the cinema experience.

The first STASHED was Twilight bingo, which was really crazy and fun. I think it set the tone for how we wanted to approach film screenings differently. Obviously, Twilight is a meme title now, but back in the day it was completely different, and I wanted the interactive social to be fun for all generations of Twilight fans.

The post-film discussions have become a staple of the programme, as they give everybody a chance to reflect. During the Rye Lane screening we used matchmaker cards and paired people up to chat based on their answers. I remember stepping back and realising: Oh, we're creating community. People who would never have talked to each other outside of the cinema, are now being united by it.

How do you and the young film programmers choose each film that is screened?

The young film programmer group and I meet once a month to review the previous screening and talk about what worked well. Using the feedback cards we see if people are requesting any particular films, movements or genres. We often look at the feedback across all of the previous screenings too, and try to gauge if there are any gaps in the programme, like specific themes.

The young film programmers then anonymously submit film suggestions, and we all discuss what we like about them. Seeing how everyone in the group has collaborated and found their rhythm together during these sessions has been really beautiful.

Do you have a film stashed in your treasure chest? Maybe there’s a film you didn't get to programme but really wanted to?

I remember when I first started I had a personal agenda to screen Rye Lane, because I thought not enough people know about it. I was like, if we don't programme Rye Lane, I'm out. I really enjoyed it when I first watched it and I thought it was so fun and sweet. It just meant so much to me. I do think rom-coms can be hit-or-miss, but when I saw the box office performance for Rye Lane, I just thought what are people doing? What is the UK on? We need to bring it back - and we did!

I'm also not ashamed to admit I'm a big Muppets fan. I think The Muppets can have everything, they’re brilliant. I genuinely have The Muppet Christmas Carol in my Letterboxd top four because why wouldn't they be there? They deserve their place. I remember making a joke about doing a STASHED: The Muppets edition.

Can you speak on how STASHED has developed since the first screening to the most recent?

I actually remember in my interview for the role I laid out a strategy. I was like, I want to start off with more well-known films and then funnel down to more niche, hidden gems. It felt like because we were establishing something so new and there wasn’t a previous iteration of this kind of programme at FACT, we should start with something really familiar and something that was going to get people to go, “okay maybe I can branch out into a new space.” My goal was to guide people who wanted to venture into something a little bit different, but to make sure the transition was gradual, instead of plonking them into a completely unfamiliar environment.

Our first screening was Twilight, which is a really big and familiar title. After that we chose Clue, which stars  Tim Curry who might be recognisable to younger people because of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The programme has kept developing in this way, going a little bit further away from the mainstream every time.

It’s really lovely that we get a lot of people who come back and join us for every screening. Sometimes you can tell that someone is dipping their toes into new waters, which feels great when we gain their trust and they keep coming back every month to try something new.

What is one thing that you've learned about curating this programme? Any learning through success or learning through failure? 

About five months into my role, I learned that you can do what you think is right, or you can do what you think other people think is right. I remember being stuck in this really big rut of thinking about what other people would want me to screen versus what I would want to screen.

One of my favourite screenings, Evil Does Not Exist, had the lowest attendance of a STASHED screening by a country mile, but somebody told me it was their first ever foreign language film and that it opened up a door for them. It taught me that you don't need to have 200 people at your screening for it to make an impact. If one person is there and they think it's the best film ever or it's given them some new information or experience, that is so important.

Do you have any advice for young people who want to get into film programming?

When programming for the first time, the main takeaways from my experience would be trusting your gut, taking pride in your work, and the biggest piece of advice: if something doesn’t work, that’s ok. I was told really early on that not everything is going to be successful and that's great. A really good quote from my manager Lewis, who is the Film Programmer & Venue Hires Manager at FACT,  is “well, that's a great bit of learning, isn't it?”. I would get annoyed at myself when I’d make a mistake because I don't want to be wrong, but now I say “yeah, actually it is a great bit of learning”.

It's really important to remember that you never stop developing and learning. Even when you have years of experience programming, you will be constantly changing because the film industry and your audiences are changing.

This role has taught me a lot about listening and how to read a room. With STASHED audiences, I'll talk to them about the film afterwards and I'll ask how they found the film. If they start their response with “well…” and a sigh, then there’s something there for us to work on. I think being curious and listening to your audience to find out what they feel and what made them feel that way is so valuable, and should be at the heart of why we do what we do.