Screening Days

About ICO Screening Days

We strongly believe that the most successful cinemas are those where staff have the opportunity to watch films and feel passionate about them. To this end, the ICO runs national Screening Days events, a staple in the independent cinema calendar giving exhibitors the chance to watch the best upcoming film releases from across the globe and discuss them with industry peers; enabling you to go away and create incredible programmes.

In addition to our main Spring and Autumn Screening Days, we also run specialised Screening Days events themed around inclusion and diversity, cinema for children and young audiences and archive film.

Accessibility at Screening Days

Making Screening Days as accessible as possible is very important to us. Find out about the accessibility options you can expect at our events.

Upcoming events

  • Autumn Screening Days 2024 will run in-person at Broadway Cinema, Nottingham over Saturday 16, Sunday 17 and Monday 18 November (morning only on Monday 18 November), with a preceding audience development day for theatrical exhibitors on Friday 15 November.
  • Archive Screening Days 2025 will run online on Tuesday 28 January and in-person at Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds on Thursday 30 January.
  • Spring Screening Days 2025 will run in-person at BFI Southbank, London over Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March, with a preceding audience development day for theatrical exhibitors on Friday 28 February.

We announce all Screening Days dates as and when confirmed. Sign up to our mailing list to stay updated.

Screening Days advisory group

Our Screening Days advisory group gives us external perspectives on Screening Days and help us find ways to renew, improve and open up the events. Read more and feed back.

Open calls for curators

We hold paid open calls for curated sessions or film programmes at our annual specialised Screening Days events, themed around young audiences and inclusion and diversity.

Current open call – Archival Screening Days (January 2025).

  • We want to hear from people inside and outside the film exhibition sector who want to develop curated sessions/film programmes that could engage different audiences across the country. If your idea will help bring more people to classic cinema or tell narratives using archive film, we want to hear it!
  • Find out more about the open call at an Information Session: Thursday 3 October, 7pm (register here) + Tuesday 15 October, 2:30pm (register here).

To be the first to receive all details about new Screening Days and Screening Days open calls, sign up to our mailing list.

Being able to see a film makes a huge difference when it comes to programming and for programmers who work in the regions and who can never get to the regular distributor press screenings in London, ICO Screening Days are the most invaluable connection with upcoming releases.

New to Screening Days? Check out our trailer to get a sense of what it's like

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