Bridport Arts Centre opened its Memento Film & Memory exhibition in the Allsop Gallery last week, as part of the town's From Page To Screen film festival for all ages and celebrating every era of cinema.

The exhibition was curated by production designer Caroline Greville-Morris, who joined the festival team last year. 

Using access to the London Cinema Museum's exceptional archive of film stills, plus her skills in sourcing perfect props and set creation, Caroline has installed a collection of immersive recreations of moments from films, as well as interactive invitations to add to a wall of cinematic memories and identify the memorable objects from iconic productions. 

A red duffle coated figure in an alleyway like that in Don't Look Now and a vintage typewriter spilling out pages of The Shining's "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", are alongside a full-size recreation of the smiling moon that Ryan and Tatum O'Neal sit on for the classic Paper Moon poster, as well as evocations of the 1960s from The Pumpkin Eater and A Kind Of Loving.

Memento also features a display of the original design work that created contrasting interiors for the separated parents in the emotionally-powerful recent release, The Son, starring Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern. 

Adapted from stage to screen by the festival's guest curator Christopher Hampton, The Son was filmed in London but its production design techniques created the New York setting of the story.

Caroline has been thrilled with the immediate response of visitors to the exhibition.

She said: "It was great to see the delight people took in recognising cinematic images as if they were old friends and how much conversation was sparked by the collective experience of recalling much-loved films. 

"I wanted to tap into how much joy and connection cinema brings us, as well as the particular way its scenes and symbols lodge deeply in our consciousness."

Among the first visitors to the exhibition were a group from Bridport's Youth Club Friday night 'Tigers', who had an exclusive evening tour by Caroline and the chance to hear more about the role of production design in filmmaking, as well as creating collaged mood boards as the starting point for their own imagined movies.

From Page To Screen also held a free 'film on a phone' workshop for the young club, facilitated by local young filmmakers Jack Wightman and Fred Warren, who are part of the festival's organising committee. 

Jack and Fred enabled small groups in the youth club to create trick shots of football, a surreal tour of the community centre and a re-telling of Gangsta Grandad.

Lead youth worker Heather Marston said she was delighted with both these film festival sessions.

"These were really inspirational activities for the Tigers, they have had such an amazing array of opportunities with filming and visiting the Arts Centre," she said. 

"The whole experience was amazingly stimulating and beneficial to the young people as they do not have the opportunity to express themselves usually within school curriculum so it was so good to see them take to the activities with such gusto and enthusiasm."

There is another opportunity for young people to get involved with the festival this Saturday, April 29 when Jo Burlington is bringing an Oops Wow Messy Art session to the Allsop Gallery, giving 6 to 12 year olds the chance to explore the Memento exhibition as an inspiration to make their own filmset, based on a favourite movie/book or their ideas for a story. 

They will also get to produce a book inspired by Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie series that promises to trick readers into saying anything. The workshop will be held from 10am to 12noon and parents can drop off children or stay with them, with tickets costing £6 per child.

Bridport Arts Centre trustee and member of the From Page to Screen team, Ines Cavill, said: "The festival always makes it a priority to include programming and activities for young people and we're especially pleased to have partnered with Bridport Youth Club and Oops Wow. 

"Families should also look out for the experience of Saturday morning cinema with the screening of'The Super Mario Bros. Movie at The Electric Palace at 11am on April 29, while at the same time at Bridport Arts Centre one of the most acclaimed films about childhood, Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows, plays as part of the daily 11am slot of European New Wave classics in this year's festival. 

"We also made it a priority this year to respond to feedback requesting more guest speakers for adult audiences and the evening 8pm screenings focussed on recently released adaptations with Q&As are proving particularly popular. 

"Our premiere of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the closing night's Allelujuah have both sold out but seats are still available for Emily (Thursday, April 27), plus 'She Said' (Saturday, April 29).

"Above all, don't miss The Son (Friday, April 28) with festival curator Christopher Hampton and the chance before this screening at 5pm to hear Christopher in conversation with arts broadcaster Francine Stock about his fifty years of experience in adapting stage to screen - including excerpts from some of the greatest film adaptations, it promises to be a unique highlight of the festival."

Tickets for all films and the Oops Wow workshop can be accessed online at www.bridport-arts.com and www.electricpalace.org.uk, by phone 01308 424 901 or in person at the Bridport Tourist Information Centre. 

Entry to Memento in the Allsop Gallery at Bridport Arts centre is free, open 10am to 4pm until Sunday, April 30th and prior to Bridport Arts Centre evening screenings.