- As we’re getting ready for our Spring Screening Days at BFI Southbank this weekend, a quick reminder that the deadline to register for our next event, Young Audiences Screening Day, is today. Register by Friday midnight for a day of key conversations, workshops and film screenings, all aiming to help your venue grow a strong young audience offer. Joining us at Showroom Cinema on 23 May are specialised youth consultant in broadcast, digital and marketing Rebecca Frank who’ll be delivering our keynote; Flora Menzies and Simon Fathers’ who’ll be giving our participants an overview of the rich body of research commissioned by Into Film; and an exquisite film programme including new films by Desiree Akhavan and Deborah Haywood. More films and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
- We’ve grown our Film Hub South East team with the addition of BFI NETWORK Talent Executive Thomas Wightman who’ll be scouting for the best new and emerging filmmaking talent from Chichester to Norwich and Canterbury. New Talent Executives have also been named for Film Hub South West, Film Hub North, Film Hub Midlands and Film Hub London.
- In Distribution news, we are beyond excited to be partnering with Club des Femmes on the touring film programme Revolt, She Said: Women and Film after ’68. Save a slot in your programmes this May-August for films on women’s revolutions in seeing, being, living and loving.
- Further to our excitement, we’re also bringing Jane Campion’s The Piano back to UK cinemas on 15 June in partnership with Studiocanal. The only female-directed film to have won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, it’s a timely re-release for this classic on its 25th anniversary year.
- Speaking of Cannes: Jacques Rivette’s The Nun, starring Anna Karina, was added to the Cannes Classics line-up – more details on its theatrical re-release in partnership with Studiocanal will be coming over from us shortly.
ICO News
Opportunities
- Spread the word: there is a new free and confidential telephone support line from The Film and TV Charity to help with issues in the workplace in film, including bullying and harassment. It operates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day on 0800 054 00 00.
- You can now get your pass for the Live Cinema Summit, which is part of Sheffield Doc/Fest. If you want to bring something really exciting to your venue that audiences won’t get anywhere else, this the place to hear from the best minds in the business.
- Entries are now open for ‘Cinema of the Year’ at Screen Daily’s Screen Awards – honouring a venue that engaged in new and improved ways to serve both audiences and distributors. The deadline for entries is 31 August.
- Film society or a community screening group? Applications for Filmbankmedia’s Innovation Fund (for up to £3k) are open until 31 July.
- Artists, filmmakers and researchers: applications are now also open for Stuart Croft Foundation Awards.
- Film critics: Watershed’s Cinema Rediscovered is offering a free two-day talent development workshop for 10 lucky writers, bloggers, video essayists/vloggers and podcasters in the early stages of their career. Don’t miss this top opportunity and get your application in before 8 May.
- There’s a great array of opportunities open at the moment via BAFTA Guru – including for mentoring and scholarships.
- On the job front, there are some amazing available positions in film organisations across the UK currently listed on our jobs page.
Good reads
- The last few years have been marked by an increasing awareness by cinemas of the opportunities to welcome Deaf audience members into their venues. ICO’s Duncan Carson spoke to London Short Film Festival’s young Deaf programmer Zoe McWhinney about their curated programme Lives in Sign Language, currently touring independent UK cinemas.
- Is it time for cinemas to start using dynamic pricing? Arts Professional examines if there’s anything the arts could learn from the airlines and other sectors already using it as common practice.
- How did Toronto’s Hot Docs Cinema become a financial success, against the odds?
- “In the age of Netflix, it takes a lot to crowbar us off our sofas.” The Guardian’s piece on ‘Where to move for…the best cinemas’ gives a few examples of lovely independent cinemas across the UK that could do just that.