FAQ for Season 15 (2021-22)

Questions

How much is membership?
I can't pay with BACS, how do I join?
What happens after I send you the form?
Will I get a paper copy of the programme?
Will I get a membership card?
What measures are being put in place for the in-venue screenings?
Will you still accept cash for refreshments?
What if we can't meet in person?
If you start to stream, will it be the same films listed on the programme?
Can I cancel my membership if I don’t want to watch streamed films?
Why do you need my contact details?
Can I join during the season?
My friends haven't received the email, why?

How much is membership?
Membership is £35 for all 18 screenings of the season.

I can't pay with BACS, how do I join?
If you cannot make a BACS transfer, download the form, fill it out and send it with a cheque to the postal address on the form.

What happens after I send you the form?
Once we have received the form plus payment from you, our Membership Secretary will email you to confirm receipt of payment and that you are a member.

Will I get a paper copy of the programme?
No, we will not be printing this year as we are reducing the amount of physical interaction needed to be part of the society. The programme is designed so that it can be printed on A4 double-sided paper and then folded to make a programme similar to previous seasons.

Will I get a membership card?
We will not be sending out membership cards this season as with the programmes we are reducing the number of physical interactions to help keep everyone safe.

What measures are being put in place for the in-venue screenings?
We will be following the guidance from the government as well as Waverley Borough Council. Whilst the vaccine has weakened the link between infection and serious illness, the link has not been broken and we are still at risk of COVID-19.

We will do our utmost to ensure the comfort and well-being of our members and volunteers during screenings.

This is what you can expect when you arrive at the Borough Hall:

We will be using the main Bridge Street entrance as normal
There will be NHS QR check-in posters – use these to check in via your smartphone app (alternatively there will be sheets in the Hall to provide your contact details)
Use the main door into the Hall as usual

Before and during the screening:

We recommend that you wear a face mask when moving around the venue
We ask that you respect social distancing when queuing at the membership desk, the refreshment desk and the lending desk
The price for a glass of wine has increased from £1.50 to £2
We intend to use contactless electronic payments to reduce the need for handling coins, and are hoping to have this in place for the first screening - keep an eye on the website for updates
If you do need to pay with cash please use exact change only
The “lending library” will be open, but returned films will only be available at the next screening (so we can clean them)
Film information sheets and feedback slips will not be given out - please use the website to view information about the film and leave your rating and comments after the screening
Please seat yourself with consideration for others and respect for social distancing; we will put out extra separate chairs out at the front
Once seated, masks can be removed for the film
The Borough Hall has an air extraction system on permanently to keep us all healthy (also during the film)
To visit the toilet please use the passageway adjacent to the tiered seating (as this will minimise contact with any other users of the Hall in the main corridor)

At the end of the screening

We will have the main exit to Bridge Street available as usual
In addition, we will also be able to use the Fire Exit door to the right of the stage (which exits at the back of the Denningberg Centre and hence to Bridge Street)
Please allow space for others to leave with a reasonable distance
Take any rubbish home with you or put it in our bins before you leave

Will you still accept cash for refreshments?

We are planning to use a contactless payment system in future, taking payments from either contactless cards or smartphones. If you do not have either we will accept cash, however we ask you to please use exact change. This will help us reduce the physical interactions and the need to handle money, and hopefully make it easier for those of you who do not carry change!

What if we can't meet in person?
The ongoing COVID-19 situation may mean that changes and/or cancellations will need to be made at short notice if we cannot continue to screen films at the Borough Hall. Please check our website godalmingfilmsoc.org.uk for updates – especially before attending a screening.

If we cannot continue to screen films in the Borough Hall we plan to revert to streaming films (as we did last season).

If you start to stream, will it be the same films listed on the programme?
Probably not. The distributors for our existing programme will not always allow us to stream their films. This will mean that alternative films will be shown. We will communicate the new line-up of films as soon as we can and also provide you with user credentials to log onto our godalmingfilm.com site.

Can I cancel my membership if I don’t want to watch streamed films?
Should we have to return to streaming films and you no longer wish to remain a member, we will be happy to refund the relevant portion of your membership fee. However, we would hope that you choose to support us until the world returns to some version of normal!

Why do you need my contact details?
It is important that we have your current contact details – especially as we will email out any updates to our programme via newsletters.

Can I join during the season?
We take in new members right through the season - anyone joining halfway through the season (from January onwards) can join at the reduced fee of £20.

My friends haven't received this email, why?
We cannot contact people who were not members for our most recent season. If someone did not re-join in 2020-21 we are not able to email them. Therefore, it is hugely important to share any messages with anyone who may be interested in joining (or re-joining) Godalming Film Society, and we are sincerely grateful to everyone telling their friends about us.