Download our annual report:
The ICO exists so that everyone can experience life-changing cinema, wherever they live and whoever they are.
We continue to be a key source of essential advice, services and support, and a passionate advocate for exhibitors across the UK and internationally. We are immensely grateful to the BFI for their ongoing support, as well as to all our sponsors, partners and clients, and the friends who champion our work. You make what we do possible – thank you.
We hope you enjoy reading the report, but here are some of the highlights from our work this past year:
- We expanded our advocacy role in the sector, carrying out original research into capital funding needs and barriers to growth. We successfully influenced welcome recommendations in the Parliamentary Report on British Film and High-End TV.
- Our ICO Training Courses reached 397 people from 344 organisations and 25 countries.
- Brand new training courses for the sector included Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model, Accessibility Across the Board and Film Programming Essentials.
- Industry-leading ICO courses returned, including the 12th edition of our flagship programming course, Cultural Cinema Exhibition, and the 5th Edition of REACH: Strategic Audience Development.
- The ICO Programming Network of 29 cinemas and film festivals screened 1,006 unique titles, generating £6.5m from 884,085 admissions.
- We welcomed five new client venues to the network: Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, ActOne Cinema in London, Jam Jar in Whitley Bay, Haverhill Arts Centre and Electric Palace in Harwich.
- Across four Screening Days events, we welcomed 734 delegates from 331 organisations, with 22% who were attending for the first time.
- Our dedicated Audience Development Days, at our national Screening Days events, have continued to develop as a key forum for innovation in reaching audiences.
- We welcomed 150 members from across the BFI Film Audience Network to Belfast for the inaugural BFI FAN CON, featuring 21 sessions and workshops which celebrated the amazing work being done for audiences in communities across the UK.
- The International Film Festival Network (IFFN), a membership-based community of film festivals, now comprises 21 members from 15 countries, both close to home and as far away as Peru and Australia.
- Film Hub South East projects supported by the National Lottery via the Film Exhibition Fund saw an 18% admissions increase compared to the previous year.
- We engaged 1,280 people across 17 locations through BFI NETWORK South East labs, mixers and workshops, taking place both in-person and online.
- Outline, our longer-form script development programme, supported ten writers of Black and Asian descent in developing their short script, and our Future Producer’s Weekender reached a cohort of whom 72% identified as being from a working class background.
- Our Short Cut Film Fund awarded three young filmmakers aged 18-23 a £1000 grant alongside personalised mentorship from BFI NETWORK-supported directors/producers.
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Action Plan continued to be implemented with new data on staff and board satisfaction, demographics and freelancer feedback informing areas for development. Other progress included new approaches to accessibility, targeted events and info sessions and laying the groundwork creation of a comprehensive Disability Action Plan.
The ICO continues in our mission to champion the broadest range of cinema and to develop audiences, venues and talent across the UK. We have always believed that this sector does extraordinary work nurturing new talent, building communities at the grassroots and bringing the best of world cinema to audiences everywhere.
Catharine Des Forges
Director of the Independent Cinema Office
If you have any questions about the contents of the report or would like to learn more about our work, please email us.