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Fabien Riggall (born in 1975) is the founder and creative director of Future shorts, Future Cinema and
Secret Cinema Secret Cinema is a London-based entertainment company that specialises in immersive film and television events. Founded and created in 2007 by Fabien Riggall, it began with mystery screenings at initially undisclosed venues in London, includ ...
.


Career

Riggall started his career in film as a runner and worked his way up going from working as assistant producer to producing short films. He studied at the
New York Film Academy New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a Private college, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit film school and Drama school, acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles metropolitan ar ...
. Fabien Riggall set up Future Shorts in 2003. The company aims to create multi-dimensional environments where audiences experience a film in purpose-built sets, combining art, music, literature, and film in re-imagined, abandoned spaces. By 2007, Fabien's ideas had evolved to become Secret Cinema and the brand has since expanded to incorporate multiple strands under the umbrella name, including Tell No One, Secret Cinema Presents, Secret Cinema X, Secret Music, and Future Shorts, a global short film-festival. Secret Cinema stages events of varying scale, from a few hundred to a hundred thousand attendees. Fabien's ambitions are to establish immersive cinema as a mainstream entertainment format in the UK, and has plans for Secret Cinema to take it global.


Secret Cinema

Secret Cinema Secret Cinema is a London-based entertainment company that specialises in immersive film and television events. Founded and created in 2007 by Fabien Riggall, it began with mystery screenings at initially undisclosed venues in London, includ ...
's experiences are described by Riggall as a response to society's growing reliance on technology and the increasingly dark, unimaginative reality created by global politics. He claims that 'Digital culture has, in some part, disconnected us from our ability to listen, feel and touch. I would like us to fight back, to build worlds in both the live and online spaces that are focuses on building a culture fueled by the desire for randomness, beauty and creativity'. Riggall's intention is to create Secret Worlds where films can be turned into real life, becoming large-scale cultural experiences in abandoned spaces. The location and details of each World are never revealed and the film title is often kept secret. Riggall has founded the belief that art can change society and tell truth in a way that cuts through the noise of media and politics as he says that 'the difference between art and entertainment is that art is about changing the world (...) It has a responsibility'.


Secret Cinema X

* In 2011, the concept of a Secret Restaurant was launched by the joint collaboration of Secret cinema and St John restaurant. Just like Secret Cinema did for film, the audience was immersed in a gastronomic evening within a specifically designed location, adapting its cinematographic concept to the culinary world. * The same year, Riggall exported his screenings to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
's capital,
Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
: 'the idea is that anyone, anywhere should have access to film. I am very passionate about the idea that culture should be made available to people.' Riggall collaborated with Travis Bear who had organized a music festival in Kabul earlier on

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-cinema/uks-secret-cinema-takes-shadowy-screenings-to-afghanistan-idUSTRE7B71LF2011120

* In 2013, Riggall applied the concept of an immersive cinematographic experience to music. He presented
Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English Folk music, folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for th ...
's ' ''Once I Was An Eagle''' during secret performances. The event took place in an old school that had been transformed into a hotel. The guests and performers were invited to wander around the old Manoir, as each room became a song, creating an interactive retelling of Marling's work

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2013/06/laura-marling-at-secret-music-a-concert-without-croquet-is-a-concert-not-worth-attending/] * In 2014, Fabien Riggall announced during a speech at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
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that he wishes to see every single venue become multi-purpose, so that cinema may be watched in different spaces. He aims to map out all the world's abandoned buildings and turn them 'into cultural spaces where local communities come together and meet each other in a real setting'. *
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
was transformed into a secret world in 2015. One of the most ambitious events that
Secret Cinema Secret Cinema is a London-based entertainment company that specialises in immersive film and television events. Founded and created in 2007 by Fabien Riggall, it began with mystery screenings at initially undisclosed venues in London, includ ...
had ever attempted focussed on the galactic world of Tatooine and invited people to join the Rebel Alliance and fight back against the evil Empire. The event was praised by many for its "spectacular sets", however was criticised for its ticket price (more below). * In 2018, a warehouse in Central London was transformed into Chinatown for a brand new production of
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
. The much anticipated show garnered high praise from critics and visitors alike, seemingly balancing the high production quality with a more affordable ticket price. In an article from ''The Hollywood News'' they announced that the event took £4.8 Million in box office takings over the course of sixteen weeks. *In the summer of 2018,
Secret Cinema Secret Cinema is a London-based entertainment company that specialises in immersive film and television events. Founded and created in 2007 by Fabien Riggall, it began with mystery screenings at initially undisclosed venues in London, includ ...
ventured into the world of Shakespeare with
Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...
's
Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to: Ballets * ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert * Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
. Within a park in Central London, Verona Beach was recreated, with attractions including a ferris wheel and the iconic abandoned stage at Sycamore Grove. The director himself,
Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...
attended one of the shows and praised Riggall for creating "a whole new art form, and a new way of appreciating film and theatre".


Cultural Activism


March for Europe

Rigall co-organized a pro-Europe demonstration, following Brexit results, which brought together 50, 000 protesters in the streets of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. March for Europe became UK's largest political mobilization of 2016

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-protest-proeu-campaigners-hope-one-million-people-will-join-march-a3293811.htm

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/International/1970-01-01/Brexit-protesters-take-it-to-the-streets-MarchforEurope/252079]


Secret Protest

In September 2015, Fabien set up #loverefugees, a movement to raise awareness of the plight of refugees globally. As part of this project, Fabien installed a temporary cinema in the Calais Jungle, Calais refugee camp known as the Jungle, the biggest in
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...


Fabien motivates his activism by explaining how the refugees will be 'having an escape from their predicament through access to culture ' as the screening 'will offer a break from this constant reality of living in tents'. Subsequently, to the bulldozing of the camp, Riggall donated £25 000 from his production ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' to the
Refugee Council The Refugee Council is a UK-based organisation which works with refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as support for other refugee and asylum seeker organisations. The ...
br>
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34186900/secret-cinema-in-calais-will-help-refugees-cope-with-dark-realit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdxg-WTjjLM]


Supporting Junior Doctors

In 2015, Riggall launched an event supporting Junior doctors contract dispute in England, 2015, Junior Doctors. Fabien insists that Secret Cinema is a socially conscious organisation that supports different ongoing debates; he expressed his solidarity towards the shortfall in Junior doctors' employment rate, as he created a whole world around the horror movie ''
28 days later ''28 Days Later'' (sometimes stylised with ellipsis as ''28 Days Later...'') is a 2002 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. It stars Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to d ...
br>
' The '' National Health Service, NHS'' has a shortage in staff, and is losing control over an epidemic of rage and most of the population is contaminated. The viewers were thrown into a post-apocalyptic world where the population had been decimated by a deadly virus. The performance's plot aimed to show the importance of a well staffed medical work force

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/secret-cinema-to-take-on-horror-for-the-first-time-a6907196.html]


Secret Youth

Riggall created Secret Youth in order to empower Youth through a better access to culture. * In 2011, the 2011 England riots, England Riots provoked a violent turmoil in
London Boroughs The London boroughs are the current 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London, England; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs wer ...
and across the
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
. The epicenter of the protests started in
Tottenham, London Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
, where Mark Duggan was shot dead by the Police''.'' As a reaction to the strife, Riggall screened ''
La Haine (, ; released in the United States as ''Hate'') is a 1995 French social thriller film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, the film chronicles a day and night in ...
'', in presence of the producer
Mathieu Kassovitz Mathieu Kassovitz () is a French actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has won three César Awards: Most Promising Actor for '' See How They Fall'' (1994), and Best Film and Best Editing for '' La Haine'' (1995). He also re ...
, at the Broadway Community Centre, Tottenham. The movie offers a view of the brutal protests that shook Paris's ''
banlieue In France, a banlieue (; ) is a suburb of a large city, or all its suburbs taken collectively. Banlieues are divided into autonomous administrative entities and do not constitute part of the city proper. For instance, 80percent of the inhabitant ...
s'' in the 1990s, just like the 2011 riots did in the UK. Through this cathartic mirroring of realities, Riggall explains how his ambition was to bring communities back together through the cinematographic expression of their condition, and more specifically to empower youth with a better access to culture. The screening was then brought to the heart Paris's ''banlieue'', Saint-Denis, as Riggall aimed to continue supporting youth where riots began

https://now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/05/04/la-haine-screened-on-broadwater-farm

* In 2017, Riggall participated in Misk Global Forum in
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
, where he revealed the launch of his new youth movement : ''We Dream Arabia''. Just as Arabia's entertainment landscape is currently shifting, Riggall affirmed his wish to support Saudi's youth to create an innovative cinema. Shortly after the Forum, the Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salam lifted a 35 years ban on movie theaters

http://miskglobalforum.com/misk_partners/secret-cinema


Night for Ukraine benefit

Riggall, in collaboration with the Ukrainian pop duo Bloom Twins, organized Night for Ukraine, a fundraising benefit held at the Roundhouse in north
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on the evening of March 9, 2022, with the funds raised being donated to the
Disasters Emergency Committee The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is an umbrella group of UK charities which coordinates and launches collective appeals to raise funds to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to people caught up in disasters and humanitarian crises aroun ...
appeal, to provide aid to people fleeing
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
following the Russian invasion.


Foundation Participation

* Shortly after Robin William's death, Riggall organized a Screening of the ''
Dead Poets Society ''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy, and tells ...
'' in aid of the mental health charity Mind

* Secret Cinema's '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' was organized in partnership with a mental health charity. The performance took over an old hospital where the audience had to get their mental health checked, making the viewers become patients. * ''
The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American Prison film, prison Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. The film t ...
'' happened in partnership with
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
. Real-life cases of unjustly incarcerated people were summoned upon the audience at a court, the viewers were then taken to a prison

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/secret-cinema-how-to-get-25000-people-to-pay-50-for-a-film-ticket-without-knowing-what-the-film-is-8390489.html] * Charlie Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound f ...
'' was screened in support of the freedom of expression charity Article 19 as a result to
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
's hack over Sony Pictures movie ''
The Interview ''The Interview'' is a 2014 American political satire action comedy film produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following '' This Is the End'' (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Sterling ...
;'' « a secret screening to protest against censorship»

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/secret-cinema-reveals-it-showed-the-great-dictator-at-protest-secret-screening-following-sonys-the-9940356.html]


Criticism


Secret Cinema

In 2015,
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
-users blamed Secret Cinema for leaving their actors unpaid. Riggall denied these accusations : 'We are a massive employer of performers. We run a government-regulated volunteer scheme that allows people to have experience in Secret Cinema. (...) I believe passionately in giving experience to people (...) It's a theatrical experience. You could say that all the audience are acting'

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
describes Secret's Cinema's predominant problem to be its cost, going up to £75 for large scale production such as ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
.'' Riggall counters that his productions are comparable to West End theatre shows, rather than any other Cinema in London, and therefore so is the ticket price


Sale of Secret Cinema

In September 2022,
Secret Cinema Secret Cinema is a London-based entertainment company that specialises in immersive film and television events. Founded and created in 2007 by Fabien Riggall, it began with mystery screenings at initially undisclosed venues in London, includ ...
announced it was being acquired by
TodayTix TodayTix is a digital ticketing platform for theatrical and cultural events. Founded by two Broadway producers, TodayTix's free mobile apps for iOS and Android provide access to theater shows in New York City, London, the San Francisco Bay Area ...
for £29,310,651.00


Honours & Appearances

Fabien has received honours from the likes of The Hospital Club, Time Out and The Evening Standard and brands including Honda and Courvoisier. In their list of London's Most Influential People, the Evening Standard wrote that "Riggall has pioneered a whole new genre". *
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
's Top 100 Influential People In Fil

* London Evening Standard, The Evening Standard's Top 1000 Influential People in Londo

*
The Hospital Club The Hospital Club, later renamed the H Club, was a members' club for people in the creative industries in London, England. It housed a television studio (h Studio), recording studio, screening room, live performance space, restaurant, lounges a ...
's Top 100 Influential People in Creative Industrie

*
Creative Review ''Creative Review'' is a bimonthly print magazine and website. The magazine focuses on commercial creativity, covering design, advertising, photography, branding, digital products, film, and gaming. The magazine is published bimonthly in print an ...
's Creative Leaders 5

* Honda Dream Factory's Cultural Enginee

* Juror Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, Lagos 201

* Misk Global Forum, Riyadh 201

* St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, St. Petersbur
2017
* London Evening Standard, Evening Standard's Young Progress Makers, London 201

* Remix Summit, London 201

* Industry Conference at TIFF, 201

* Remix Summit, NYC 201

* Architectural Association School of Architecture, Architectural Association: 'Performance & the City' symposium, London 201

* The Future of Storytelling, NYC 201

* TED (conference), TEDx Youth, Bath 201


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggall, Fabien Living people 1975 births