Welcome back to your regular monthly update from the Independent Cinema Office! See the latest opportunities for your cinema, festival or film society, plus industry highlights from across the UK.
ICO News
- Looking to refresh your organisation’s business outlook? Not only can you still register for the final Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model open webinar (covering strategic fundraising on 3 December), but you can also purchase recordings of the first two sessions, highlighting key areas every organisation should consider and practical solutions to help your business thrive. Find out more and book now.
- And if you’re ready to take your organisational approach to the next level, registration for the full version of BFI FAN training course, Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model will be opening very soon – sign up to our Training mailing list to be the first to hear when it launches!
- Discover what screen history and heritage could bring to your venue with Archive Screening Days, online and in-person next January. The first sessions and titles have already been announced, with more coming very soon!
Opportunities & Resources
- Charities and social enterprises based and delivering impact in England can now apply for the Energy Resilience Fund, a blended loan and grant for organisations looking to improve their energy resilience.
- The most recent BFI FAN: EDI in Focus session explores the principles and areas to consider when bringing inclusive recruitment and conscious inclusion in your organisation. Watch the recording now.
- Part of the BFI’s Sustainable Screen Programme, join Julie’s Bicycle on 5 December for a webinar on managing and saving energy, aimed at cinemas and screen venues.
- Film Hub Northern Ireland has just released their FAN Screen Heritage Resource Guide, the go-to resource for FAN members hoping to begin screening archive films. The guide outlines best practices, suggests networks to join, provides useful case studies and is available to all BFI FAN members now.
- Join SET Film Festival in London this December for their final event of the year, screening three archival short films that traverse the intersection of singing as both protest and connection. Book your tickets now.
- Support mental health and financial wellbeing in UK film, TV, and cinema by donating to the Film & TV Charity’s Christmas Appeal.
- Make your website more inclusive to people with hidden disabilities with a webinar from the Digital Culture Network. Focusing on visual impairments, this session will give you practical insights to help you improve the accessibility of your website to make the user experience more inclusive.
- Learn the Essentials in Arts Fundraising with a virtual two-week course from Future Learn, aimed at anyone working in the arts and culture industry who wants to take their first steps in fundraising.
- Undershed, Watershed’s new visual arts space is now open, showcasing immersive and interactive art from all over the world. The first exhibition, Sing the Body Electric is available to book now.
- Sidney Poitier: His Own Person, a season of films exploring Poitier’s immense talent and lasting influence, comes to the BFI this December, tickets on sale now. Programmed by Jonathan Ali.
- Julie’s Bicycle has also assembled a list of several vital and informative resources on sustainability, including reports and case studies, to give an accurate image of the cultural sector’s role within the wider landscape of sustainability in the UK.
- The Film Festival Alliance have published their new Best Practices for Professional Film Festivals, which includes standards, expectations and accountability for festival exhibitors. Alongside this guide, they have also released a new Film Festival Directory, highlighting organisations that meet these standards and encouraging more transparency within the industry.
- FOCUS 24 Conference will be taking place in London this December, bringing together creators, producers and promoters across the screen industries. Passes are free, and panellists include representatives from the UK Global Screen Fund, the BFI Doc Society, Film London and many more. See the full session line-up and book here.
Good Reads
- It’s been a bountiful month for ICO blogs, with a piece from Jonny Dry on crafting communal film events with Dailies and a bumper double-feature on ‘new’ social media – you can read both part one (on Letterboxd) and two (on TikTok) now
- Campaigns, communications and policy specialist Giles Winn on the impact of the Autumn Budget on UK screen industries
- Read Nina Roche’s reflections on the changing landscape of screen venues and cinema attendance in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Tim Lucas finds treasure digging through American ‘trash’ cinema
- Read about Ropetackle’s work to put on dementia-friendly screenings in Shoreham-by-Sea, supported by the BFI Film Audience Network.
- Celebrate 30 years of National Lottery support for UK film with the BFI’s list of game-changing cinema moments
- Watch this interview with Jocelyn Burnham, an independent speaker on AI for Culture, on how arts and culture organisations can prepare for AI
- Ivie Uzebu reviews LFF’s Best Film Award winner Memoir of a Snail as part of the LFF Critic’s Mentorship Programme in Sight & Sound
- Arts Professional reports on the many arts organisations now migrating over to Bluesky from X
Image Courtesy of Film Hub NI’s BFI FAN Screen Heritage Guide