- This month we’ve been busy preparing for our Summer Screening Days at Phoenix Leicester (7-9 July). With a line-up of upcoming gems such as Cannes-winners Cold War (pictured), BlacKkKlansman and Dogman as well as Paul Dano’s directorial debut Wildlife and Crystal Moselle’s Sundance hit Skate Kitchen, it’s an event not to miss. There’s still a few last tickets left so register now if you haven’t yet!
- Mark your calendars for our next Screening Days events as well: see you at mac Birmingham for our diversity and inclusivity focused Screening Day (25 September 2018), Tyneside Cinema for our Autumn Screening Days (27-29 October 2018) and BFI Southbank for both our Archive Screening Day (29 November 2018) and Spring Screening Days (2-4 March 2019).
- Applications are now open for the next edition of REACH: Strategic Audience Development. Cinemas and film marketers, this is an essential training course if you want to bring in new audiences to a wider range of films. The deadline for applications is 5pm, Wednesday 8 August 2018.
- Want to be a part of shaping our history? We’re looking for new trustees – make sure to apply by 5pm on 16 July.
- Our and Club des Femmes’ fantastic touring film programme Revolt, She Said: Women and Film after ’68 is currently doing the rounds around the UK. Find out how you can get involved.
- This summer, we’re also distributing Jane Campion’s The Piano (out now) and Jacques Rivette’s The Nun (27 July) in partnership with Studiocanal. Add these treasures to your cinema’s programme for a pinch of re-release magic.
ICO News
Opportunities
- There are some top opportunities out there from our friends at Europa Cinemas: members of the network can apply for the first time this year for the newly created Europa Cinemas Innovation Prize which looks out to reward stand-out innovative actions implemented by one or several members of the network, and which have the potential to inspire other exhibitors. The prize is an award of 10,000 euros and is handed out by the European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival. Submit your project for this great opportunity by 11 July.
- You can also register your cinema for the next European Art Cinema Day which will take place on Sunday 14 October.
- Film society or a community screening group? Apply for Filmbankmedia’s Innovation Fund (for up to £3k) before the end of July.
- Last chance: submissions for Soria International Short Film Festival close this 30 June. Run by Soria’s City Hall and Youth Council and by La Boca Espacio de Cultura, the 20th Soria International Short Film Festival will give out in excess of 17,000 euros in cash awards.
- FAN members! Film Hub Midlands’ Uprising: Spirit of 68 has added on four new titles: Hose Streets, Politics – An Instruction Manual, Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle and Generation Revolution. The season runs until September and there’s a full menu of films at negotiated rates available for members.
- Knock knock – cinemas, make sure to check out the BFI’s Comedy Genius blockbuster tour as well.
- Don’t miss out on these two amazing opportunities from Film and Video Umbrella: the Curatorial Practice Award to become an AMI guest curator for a year with support to realise a project of your choosing (deadline 23 July) and the Michael O’Pray prize which is an initiative for early career writers in artists’ moving image with £500 prize (deadline 31 July).
- Enter by 31 August 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.
- It’s your last chance to grab This Way Up’s early bird pass – get 30% off if you register by 6 July.
- Remember that there’s also some great available positions in film organisations across the UK currently listed on our jobs page.
Good reads
- A great example of creative leadership in programming, read how BAMcinematek’s Associate Vice President of Cinema Gina Duncan’s crusade to diversify their programming is paying off.
- Why independent cinemas are booming in the UK? Charles Gant from Screen Daily investigates the UK’s flourishing independent cinema market.
- ‘It may be high time that the arts world relax the rule book on audience etiquette.’ What can we do to accommodate difference and disability in our cinemas too?
- Read which films and VR installations made it to our Project Coordinator James Calver’s list of highlights from this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest.
- Why short films matter, as told by Aesthetica Short Film Festival’s Events Assistant (& our FEDS trainee) Roisin Mullins.
- Club des Femmes have commissioned some truly beautiful work from writers reflecting on the legacy of the films in our Revolt, She Said programme. You can download a digital version of the zine or head over to your nearest Revolt She Said venue to grab a physical copy – or even better, do both.
- With arts engagement known to play a key role in social mobility, Arts Professional calls for UK cultural institutions to take a cue from Helsinki City Museum’s Children’s Town on how to become more welcoming to young children and families.
- This February, Scotland was hit by one of the harshest cold waves in years during Glasgow Film Festival. Glasgow Film Theatre’s Programme Assistant (& our FEDS trainee) Chris Kumar blogs about how they were able to run a film festival in the eye of a snowstorm.
- Behind a domestic front door in a narrow street in the seaside town of Deal, there’s a new Kent Museum of Moving Image, open from Friday to Sunday.