Annual Report 2018-19 Introduction Contents Dorothy Wilson Catharine Des Forges Chair of Trustees, Independent Cinema Office Director, Independent Cinema Office Introduction 1 Independent Consultant, Coach and Producer With cinema admissions on the rise, Now in its sixteenth year, the ICO Professionals – and a new Online Highlights 2 the power of cinema and the collective continues to see growth across all Learning Platform to offer affordable viewing experience is as relevant now areas of its activity, with more new and flexible training options to those Programming 6 as it was when the first cinema opened. staff members joining the team, more who may find it difficult to attend training courses being developed and training in person. Training 16 As well as offering escapism, film – more ICO client cinemas than ever especially independent and world before. We are thrilled to have been able We are always proud to champion female Screening Days 22 cinema – has the power to enlighten to increase our activities supporting our filmmakers and this year toured some and transform people’s views; to shine key goals, in enabling everyone in the remarkable works by the New German Film Hub South East 28 a light onto little known subjects, and UK to access a communal experience of Cinema director, Margarethe von Trotta, be an agent of social change; to elicit life-changing cinema. by bringing some of her most explosive Advice, information & consultancy 36 empathy and promote understanding and resonant titles to UK audiences in – all in the space of a couple of hours. We have also been delighted to see partnership with StudioCanal. We will Distribution 40 As Haifaa Al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia’s impressive admissions for a number continue to showcase films by directors first female director, perfectly put of foreign language titles this year, not yet given the recognition they deserve Marketing 46 it; “Art can touch people and make with films such as Hirokazu Kore-eda’s and those who are just breaking through them open up.” Shoplifters generating vast audiences. with new stories and ways of seeing. About 48 Independent venues across the UK are ICO believes that engaging audiences able to offer something different for Finally, the ICO continues to create with the best possible viewing audiences and it’s these kinds of films and showcase archive materials and to experiences doesn’t just stem from which we will continue to champion. develop new audiences for archive film, showing a wide variety of films on proving how important and relevant screen, but encompasses everything Our work lies not only in diversifying these materials still are for screening from ticket prices to the cultural the films shown on screen but also the in cinemas and more widely within the ethos of the promoting organisations people who get to show them. Currently community. We have released two new themselves. More than ever venues the UK exhibition sector is not reflective Britain on Film titles, as well as New must be welcoming and inclusive of the country’s population, and this is Towns, Our Town, focussed on the UK’s spaces for everyone, requiring a something we are working to address New Towns movement, this year. continued emphasis on accessibility via a number of bespoke workforce and ensuring people are aware that intervention schemes that open up the A big thank you must go to our main their local cinema is for them and sector and create direct change in who funder, the BFI and all our other funders serves the whole of their community. gets to participate. We are preparing – Creative Europe, the National Lottery Independent cinemas play a vital to deliver new editions of Women’s Heritage Fund, Arts Council England role in diversifying the types of films Leadership and FEDS (Film Exhibition, and ScreenSkills – as well as our shown in the UK and encouraging Distribution & Sales) as well as collaborators, supporters and friends substantial audiences for titles outside launching a new course – FEDS Elevate: who enable us to keep developing a of the mainstream blockbuster offering. Leadership Programme for Cinema thriving and open exhibition sector. INTRODUCTION — 1 2 Training Our diverse and innovative training portfolio offers film exhibition professionals the opportunity to benefit from high-level knowledge, ensuring our sector is successful, innovative and progressive. IN 2018-19 WE TRAINED NEARLY 100 FILM EXHIBITION PROFESSIONALS Developing Your Film Festival 2019, credit Anna Pomichowska FROM 60 ORGANISATIONS AND OVER 50 COUNTRIES. 1 Programming The ICO currently works in collaboration Hyde Park Picture House, credit Tom Joy Woman at War, courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment with 24 client cinemas in the UK as one of the country’s biggest independent cinema networks. 3 OUR NETWORK PROGRAMMED 902 Screening Days FILMS FOR OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE; GENERATING NEARLY £6.5 MILLION IN Screening Days are one of our main BOX OFFICE REVENUE. activities and certainly our most popular. A fixture in the UK film exhibition calendar; Screening Days are industry events at which we preview key upcoming features. IN 2018-19 727 PEOPLE FROM 328 DIFFERENT VENUES ATTENDED AN ICO SCREENING DAY EVENT. Pain & Glory, courtesy of Pathé / Twentieth Century Fox 2 — HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS — 3 5 Advice, information & consultancy We offer the most practical, simple 4 and immediately helpful advice we Film Hub South East can, pointing people in the right direction and aiming to support As managers of Film Hub South independent exhibitors of all kinds in East, part of the BFI Film Audience achieving their goals. Network (FAN), we are working to develop and strengthen our network IN 2018-19 WE HAVE ANSWERED of South East exhibitors to build a 1,297 ENQUIRIES, AND WORKED ON SIX vibrant and active community. LARGE-SCALE CONSULTANCY PROJECTS. OPEN PROJECTS, FILM FESTIVALS AND OUTDOOR SCREENINGS FUNDED BY FILM HUB SOUTH EAST HAVE GENERATED OVER 61.8K ADMISSIONS. Credit Paul Johnson Credit RIBA collections Credit Colin Davison 6 Distribution ICO distribution projects seek to champion the widest range of world cinema both contemporary and historical – especially those titles that people would not otherwise get to see. IN 2018-19 WE RELEASED 38 FILMS WHICH WERE SEEN BY OVER 17.3K PEOPLE; GENERATING OVER £83.2K IN BOX OFFICE REVENUE. The Second Awakening of Christa Klages, courtesy of StudioCanal 4 — HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS — 5 The ICO currently works in collaboration with 24 client cinemas in the UK as one of the country’s biggest independent cinema networks. Programming Courtesy of Pomegranate Theatre & Cinema The ICO believes everyone should have access to life-changing cinema. We help cinemas everywhere – from major cities to rural communities – to access the best of cultural cinema and take their programming to the next level. Our overarching goal with ICO The ICO programming team offers a programming is to drive audiences to be ‘Programme Advice and Film Booking’ more adventurous. We are focused on service and it’s worth taking a look long-term audience development and on behind the terminology to understand building meaningful relationships with its real value. The programme advice audiences; so that when they visit one of originates from the track record of the our client cinemas they trust that we are ICO programming team, which has over OUR NETWORK showing them the very best films on offer. 60 years’ experience in programming PROGRAMMED 902 across a range of cinemas and film FILMS FOR OVER 1 MILLION The collaboration with each cinema festivals of all sizes and types. The PEOPLE; GENERATING is very much a partnership, a peer- advice given by the team is always as NEARLY £6.5 MILLION IN to-peer conversation; starting with informed as possible, sharing details BOX OFFICE REVENUE a shared understanding of what the of release plans, critical reception cinema’s programme and audiences and other intelligence. In making can be, and leading to the mutually film bookings, the team also acts as beneficial outcomes of an increased a consistent intermediary between range of films and audiences. In 2018, cinemas and film distributors. Regular there were over 800 feature films contact with film distributors enables released in UK cinemas, at an average the ICO to give our client cinemas early of around 16 per week. For most access to release information, special independent cinemas, those with single events and advance screenings. or multiple screens alike, there is now almost too much choice and this makes Over time, the ICO has also developed collaboration with a well-informed, a clear model of booking terms for its highly experienced programme network of cinemas, whilst preserving advisor increasingly valuable. the individual integrity of each venue. 6 — PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING — 7 A year in cinema Highest performing foreign language films at ICO client cinemas 2018-2019 Film Admissions 1 Shoplifters 9,639 2 Everybody Knows 6,867 3 Woman at War 6,013 Cold War, courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye 4 Capernaum 4,408 5 Cold War 4,269 6 Pain & Glory 4,084 7 Burning 3,992 8 Border 3,586 9 Dogman 2,973 10 Faces, Places 2,308 Shoplifters, courtesy of Thunderbird Releasing Pain & Glory, courtesy of Pathé / Twentieth Century Fox Burning, courtesy of Thunderbird Releasing Capernaum, courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment Foreign language cinema such as Shoplifters, The White Crow and Pain & Glory gave independent cinemas a boost at vital Everybody Knows, courtesy of Universal Woman at War, courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment Border, courtesy of MUBI points throughout the year. 8 — PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING — 9 Breaking the window… Successes across the ICO One of the biggest conversations Programming Network across the exhibition sector in 2018-19 was around the prevalence of online streaming services and their place alongside the UK theatrical market.