BFI FAN FILM EXHIBITION FUND AWARDS OVER £750,000 TO UK EXHIBITORS

Over 140 film exhibitors around the UK have received a share of £759,159 to boost cultural programming and activities to engage diverse audiences as lockdown restrictions ease. The BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund supports activity to re-engage audiences with collective, big screen film experiences at film festivals, mixed arts venues, and both community and traditional cinemas around the UK. This particular strand of support has been made available via BFI‘s National Lottery funding to the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN).

BFI FAN is a unique collaboration of eight Film Hubs managed by leading film organisations across the UK, who each distribute the funding in their region or nation. The BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund will enable FAN Members to deliver a broad range of programming once they restart, ensuring excellent British and international independent cinema is available to audiences all over the UK. Other priorities of the fund are incentivising exhibitors to embed inclusion and environmental sustainability into their approach to reopening, post closure during the pandemic restrictions.

The BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund was also supported by a donation from global streaming platform MUBI. The total figure awarded to Film Hub Scotland members of £220,000 includes additional funding from Screen Scotland as announced in early November. Film Hub Wales announced Film Exhibition Fund awards totalling £52,000, also in November.

Ben Luxford, Head of UK Audiences at the BFI, said: “We’re committed to the big screen experience. Thanks to support from the National Lottery and our industry partners, we’re really happy to be able to support so many of the UK’s independent venues and community cinemas to bring a broad range of programming to their audiences. These cultural spaces across the UK are at the centre of their communities, so with this fund we hope that these film exhibitors will be in a stronger position to restart activity and programme films, seasons and deliver festivals that everyone is able to enjoy.”

Federica Pugliese, Programme and Marketing Manager at Catford Mews in London, said: “This [funding] will allow us to keep serving the Catford community by delivering a varied and diverse programme throughout the year, and it will enable us to continue collaborating with local film collectives and individuals to make our programme as local and accessible as possible. As challenging as the last few months have been for both businesses and individuals, it means a lot to have the support to keep our venue running and to continue to champion local culture as well as delivering entertainment to the wider community.”

Jade Turner, Cinema and Festival Programmer and Curator at Northampton Filmhouse, said: “Everyone at the Northampton Filmhouse is so excited about Shockwaves [a dynamic season of films and events celebrating the best in emerging filmmaking talent from around the world] and bringing the best new British and international debut films to our audiences. We are really grateful to the BFI and the Film Audience Network for providing such vital support during these difficult times so that we can continue to showcase innovative filmmaking, which is at the heart of our programme.”

Claire Hills, Festival Manager & Producer, Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, said: “Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is continually inspired by and committed to engaging with the communities in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The generous support from the Film Exhibition Fund will allow us to develop this work in a more sustainable way, giving us more space and time to work with local young people through a series of screenings, talks and workshops.”

Jillian Thompson, Programme Manager of NI Science Festival, said: “Live cinema is a central part of Northern Ireland Science Festival so this year we were absolutely delighted to receive funding from the Film Exhibition Fund. Thanks to their generous support we hope to extend our outreach, work with priority groups and curate an exciting and diverse programme of STEM on film.”

Alice Black, Head of Cinema at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), said: “DCA is grateful to have been awarded funding from the BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund, which will allow us to continue to programme challenging and engaging cinema for our Dundee audiences. At this difficult time with so much uncertainty, we are more aware than ever of the transformative power of the cinema experience to connect and inspire us.”

Isabelle McNeill, Chair of the Cambridge Film Trust, which runs the Cambridge Film Festival, said: "We are very grateful for the continued support of Film Hub South East and the BFI, especially at this time when film festivals are having to adapt and explore new models. This fund will allow us to present "Cambridge Film Festival At Home", enabling us to continue engaging with audiences while we discover innovative solutions to meet current needs and prepare to return to cinemas as soon as it is possible".

Jessica Brewster, Director at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, said: “Receiving FAN Exhibition Fund money is a gamechanger for us at The Roses. It will support us to transform our cinema programme and experience of the venue for children and young people, and help us engage and develop a new generation of audiences for British and independent film.”

Rhiannon Hughes, Festival Director at Wicked Wales Film, said: “This funding will help us to continue to work and train our young volunteers who run our cinema and our film festival, it will help us to provide screening opportunities to some of the most vulnerable and deprived communities in Wales and at the same time to celebrate and raise the profile of emerging young filmmakers in Wales and films under the Made in Wales brand.”

The National Lottery raises £30 million each week for good causes across the UK.

BFI FAN FILM EXHIBITION FUND AWARDS:

Film Hub Northern Ireland

Cushendun Building Preservation Trust,  £500

Cinemagic, £5,000

NI Science Festival, £4,885

Out To Lunch, £3,800

Outburst, £2,000

Strand Arts Centre, £2,000

Film Hub London

Acton Arts Project, £3,000

Black Stock Media, £4,000

Catford Mews, £3,000

Doc’n Roll Films Ltd, £3,000

Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest, £5,000

Genesis Cinema Ltd, £5,000

Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Ltd, £4,000

London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF), £3,000

London Indian Film Festival, £3,333

London International Animation Fest, £3,000

London Kurdish Film Festival, £4,000

Other Cinemas, £5,000

Phoenix Cinema, £5,000

Rainbow Film Society, £2,400

Rich Mix Cultural Enterprises Ltd, £5,000

Rio Cinema Dalston, £5,000

Screen25 Cinema, £4,500

Sign for All Community Ltd, £5,000

Stow Film Lounge, £3,000

Streatham Film, £3,000

Theatron Media Ltd t/a The Castle Cinema, £5,000

UK Jewish Film, £3,000

Watermans (Hounslow Arts Trust Ltd, trading as Watermans), £2,520

We Are Parable, £4,000

Whirled Cinema, £4,000

Your Cinema Productions Ltd, £5,000

Film Hub Midlands

ArtReach, £5,000

Birmingham Indian Film Festival, £3,334

Black Arts Forum, £5,170

Black Country Touring, £4,440

Bonington Theatre, £2,600

Borderlines Film Festival, £8,700

Derby QUAD, £7,500

Kinokulture, £9,956

Light House Media Centre, £7,000

Live and Local/ Big Picture Show, £5,000

mac Birmingham, £10,000

Media Active Projects, £10,000

Northampton Filmhouse, £6,600

Phizzical, £7,000

Telford & Wrekin Council, £2,800

The Northern Light Cinema, £3,500

Unseen Cinema, £8,720

Victoria Park Productions, £8,400

Wem Town Hall, £3,792

Film Hub North

ArtReach, £5,000

Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, £7,500

Chorley Empire Cinema, £9,484

Forum Cinema Hexham, £2,000

Hebden Bridge Picture House, £7,021

Leigh Film Society, £4,252

Seahouses Development Trust, £4,640

SIDE Cinema, £3,900

South Asian Film Festival Up North, £3,333

Storyhouse, £10,000

The Dukes, £9,930

UK Jewish Film Festival, £2,000

Yorkshire Silent Film Festival, £3,000

Film Hub Scotland

Africa in Motion, £4,900

Alchemy Film and Arts / Borders Screen Network, £4,400

An Lanntair, £3,840

Birks Cinema, £2,535

Caledonian Cinema, £3,000

Campeltown Picturehouse, £4,215

Campleline, £1,294

CatStrand, £3,119

Centre for the Moving Image, £3,398

CinemaAttic, £4,375

Cromarty and Resolis Film Society, £2,624

Dardishi, £3,230

Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), £3,198

Driftwood, £3,158

Dunoon Burgh Hall, £1,675

Eastgate Theatre, £3,750

Eden Court, £4,627

Femspectives, £3,795

Glasgow Film Festival, £3,500

Hippodrome, £5,000

Macrobert, £5,000

Oban Phoenix, £4,450

Robert Burns Centre Film and Theatre, £5,000

Screen Argyll, £4,875

Shetland Arts Development Agency, £4,950

South West Media Factory, £2,750

Strathearn Arts, £2,565

The Barn, £4,135

The Pickaquoy Centre, £2,611

UK Jewish Film Festival, £458

West Coast Cinema, £4,570

Film Hub South East

Brighton Community Cinematheque, £1,862

Bute Street Film Festival, £5,000

Cambridge Film Festival, £15,000

CINECITY, £5,700

Connaught Theatre & Cinema, £5,267

Deal Film Club, £5,175

Electric Palace Cinema, £3,490

Fabrica, £1,400

Fisheye Film Festival, £2,015

Gulbenkian, £2,050

Ipswich Film Theatre, £1,750

Norden Farm, £8,000

Palace Cinema Broadstairs, £6,741

Saffron Screen, £3,016

The Picturehouse, Uckfield, £3,160

Towner, £4,900

Trinity Theatre, £3,500

UK Jewish Film Festival, £422

Ultimate Picture Palace, £5,867

WOFFF (Women Over Fifty Film Festival), £2,000

Film Hub South West

Ashleworth Cinema, £365

C Fylm (Creative Kernow), £6,500

COMPASS PRESENTS, £6,000

Cornwall Film Festival, £5,500

Exeter Phoenix, £5,200

Film Bath Ltd, £10,000

No6 Cinema, £7,510

Portsmouth Film Society, £4,000

Queer Vision Bristol, £5,000

Roses Theatre Trust, £6,675

Sheba Soul Ensemble, £6,000

South West Silents, £6,000

Stroud & District Film Society, £330

Stroud Film Festival, £5,060

The Point Theatre, £5,500

The Poly, £2,745

The Pound Arts Trust Ltd, £5,000

Trowbridge Town Hall Trust, £8,728

Windrose Rural Media Trust, £1,000

Film Hub Wales

Canolfan Ucheldre Centre (Holyhead), £4,000

CellB (Blaemau Ffestiniog), £ 4,000

Commodore (Aberystwyth), £2,500

Dragon Theatre (Barmouth), £1,677

Galeri Caernarfon, £5,000

Galeri Caernarfon Young Generation Scheme, £1,000

Magic Lantern (Tywyn), £4,700

Memo Arts Centre (Barry), £4,200

Neuadd Ogwen (Bethesda), £4,000

Savoy Theatre Monmouth, £600

TAPE (Old Colwyn), £4,000

Theatr Gwaun (Fishguard), £4,275

Torch Theatre (Milford Haven), £4,000

Wicked Wales Film / P&M Community Group (Rhyl), £4,000

WOW (Wales One World) Film Festival, £4,000