We have created a Made in Wales Support Pack for this film, featuring an exclusive video introduction from Welsh actor Carly-Sophia Davies, editorial in partnership with Buzz Magazine, social cards, programming recommendations and social assets, all of which you can share with your audiences to promote the film’s Welsh connections.
Our Preview Days include screenings of upcoming Welsh-made, Welsh-language and Welsh archive film releases designed to support the wider programming and reach of films with Welsh connections.
The events are exclusively for members of Film Hub Wales and members of Film Hubs around the UK and we supply all attendees with film information packs and offer networking at different member venues across the country. Film Hub Wales can also offer funding towards minimum guarantees, marketing and/or a contribution towards event costs where talent is available.
Further events will be scheduled according to the availability of upcoming film titles and details will be listed below.
No upcoming events in 2023.
TAPE Community Music and Film are launching a new cinema project for communities across North Wales, with support from Film Hub Wales.
Specialising in creative inclusion, TAPE have ‘co-created’ the project in collaboration with their Media Club – a safe and supportive space which offers hands on experiences to a cohort of people from across the local community.
‘Neighbourhood Watch’, named by Josh one of the Media Club members, will launch with a screening of locally filmed, BAFTA nominated, comedy Brian and Charles at Llanrwst Family Centre on Friday 22nd September. There will be special guests and some surprises for the audience!
Josh is looking forward to the first event:
“I like the idea of bringing the community together through film. I feel proud to be part of this.”
Steve Swindon, Creative Director of TAPE explains how the Media Club works and why the project is needed:
“We can bring people together through Media Club and work as a team to develop exciting projects which link to a whole range of creative opportunities. Neighbourhood Watch is a hugely exciting project for several reasons. It builds on the film programming work the group has done and the wide range of screenings and events they’ve hosted. It also moves this work into communities across North Wales and connects people in new ways through the workshops running alongside. We can’t wait to get started.”
Neighbourhood Watch will bring monthly screenings of UK independent and international film to up to five communities from 2023-26, with potential areas for expansion including Anglesey and Llanfairfechan. The communities involved will have opportunities to develop skills such as booking films and marketing events, whilst also making friends and growing their professional networks. Each screening will have a workshop, guest or masterclass, plus the chance to participate in the development of TAPE’s next feature film project, Below the Waves, which is funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
Hana Lewis, Strategic Manager of Film Hub Wales adds:
“There’s so much innovation taking place across North Wales but we know that communities aren’t always able to access events, whether this is due to the cost of living crisis, poor transport links or lack of local services. Neighbourhood Watch is driven by the community itself, creating an appetite for film on their own doorsteps. TAPE’s Media Club are bursting with creative ideas to make the project work for their community in an inclusive way – which is really important to us. We hope that their work will encourage wider cinema going, supporting nearby cinemas and festivals in the long-term.”
BFI FAN is a nationwide programme made possible thanks to National Lottery funding that seeks to ensure the greatest choice of cinema is available to everyone across the UK. In Wales, funds are administered by Film Hub Wales via Chapter. The Neighbourhood Watch project is designed to meet objectives in the BFI’s recently launched 10-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
Download the Full Press Release.
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Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger, a major BFI UK-wide film celebration of one of the greatest and most enduring filmmaking partnerships in the history of cinema: Michael Powell (1905-1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988), best known for their iconic films including THE RED SHOES (1948), A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946) and BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), comes to big screens nationwide this autumn. CINEMA UNBOUND: THE CREATIVE WORLDS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER today announces a UK-wide programme, funded by National Lottery, with over 56 special events and screenings, in the first round, supported in partnership by BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN).
From Martin Scorsese to Matthew Bourne, Kate Bush to Margaret Atwood, Tilda Swinton and Greta Gerwig, Powell and Pressburger have influenced creatives for decades, their bold, subversive and iconoclastic cinema continuing to resonate across the worlds of art, design, theatre, dance and music. This is the largest and most wide-ranging exploration ever undertaken about the work of the legendary writer-producer-director team. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s incredibly fruitful artistic collaboration at their production company, The Archers, spanned 24 films together made between 1939 and 1972.
The UK-wide celebration kicks off this autumn on the big screen with the BFI Distribution re-release of I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING! (1945), back in UK-wide cinemas from 20 October. I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING! was recently restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation in association with ITV and Park Circus, with funding for the restoration provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation with additional support provided by Matt Spick. BFI Distribution is also re-releasing the iconic dance film THE RED SHOES (1948), in honour of its 75th anniversary from 8 December. THE RED SHOES was previously restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in association with the BFI, The Film Foundation, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., and Janus Films. Restoration funding for the film was provided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Film Foundation, and the Louis B. Mayer Foundation. Both restorations have been licensed from Park Circus/ITV. A new restoration of PEEPING TOM (1960) restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Studiocanal will be released in UK cinemas by Studiocanal on 27 October.
Studiocanal will also be unveiling a new 4K restoration of THE SMALL BACK ROOM (1949) as part of CINEMA UNBOUND. Restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Studiocanal, THE SMALL BACK ROOM will be available via Studiocanal as well as a first ever DCP print for OH…ROSALINDA!! (1955). BFI FAN partners nationwide will also be able to book classic Powell and Pressburger’s titles, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946), BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), and double bills of THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (1937) + RETURN TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (1978) as well as the recent restoration of Michael Powell’s BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE (1964) + THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE (1955). BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE (1964) has been restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation in association with The Ashbrittle Film Foundation, with funding provided by the BFI National Archive, The Louis B. Mayer Foundation and The Film Foundation. The sublime new restoration of BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE (1964) will also be released by the BFI in a Dual format edition (DVD & Blu-ray) in November.4
Following the huge success of the inaugural BFI Film on Film Festival in June, the season will offer UK-wide audiences a chance to experience the magic of seeing films projected on film, with 35mm print screenings of BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), THE RED SHOES (1948), THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (1943) and THE TALES OF HOFFMANN (1951), with new prints made with funding from the National Lottery and the additional support of donors to the BFI’s Keep Film on Film campaign.
Programme highlights up and down the UK and Northern Ireland include aroma-focused immersive screenings of BLACK NARCISSUS (1947) in Chester, Brighton and Glasgow, a series of screenings in Orkney, Mull, the Isle of Tiree and Oban, celebrating Powell and Pressburger’s Island films including I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING! (1945) and THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (1937). Special screenings planned at Much Wenlock, Shropshire, the location for GONE TO EARTH (1949) and Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, West Sussex one of the key filming locations for BLACK NARCISSUS (1947). Other event highlights include an immersive screening of THE RED SHOES (1948) at Exeter Cathedral and A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946) at Nympsfield Airfield Aerodrome, Gloucestershire. Plus, Powell and Pressburger film seasons at cinemas across the country from Cardiff, Derry, Belfast, Glasgow, Nottingham and Sheffield, to Dundee, Folkestone, Cambridge and Manchester.
Powell and Pressburger’s masterpieces were so numerous that in 2022 six of their films appeared in the Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time Poll (a feat only matched by Hitchcock). True cinematic visionaries, Powell and Pressburger worked with an exceptionally talented creative team of long-term collaborators as The Archers. This included Alfred Junge (production designer), Hein Heckroth (production designer and costume designer), Jack Cardiff (cinematographer), Ivor Beddoes (sketch artist), Arthur Lawson (art director) and Brian Easdale (composer) as well as actors including Roger Livesey, Anton Walbrook, Moira Shearer, Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron and Sabu. Together they created some of the richest and most memorable films in the story of cinema, the impact of which continues to be felt today.
Members of Film Hub Wales can still apply for funding to present events and screenings that celebrate the work of Powell & Pressburger and their influence. Read our funding guidelines and submit an application.
Film Hub Wales (FHW) has awarded £50,000 of National Lottery funding to nine independent cinemas and film festivals in Wales through its Film Exhibition Fund.
Funds will enable Welsh communities to watch the latest UK independent and international films on their doorsteps. From queer animated shorts in Cardiff, to live music and film nights in Tywyn, there’s a huge variety of activities to choose from.
The funded projects share the aim to offer climate conscious events at affordable prices. Wales One World Film Festival are running their ‘Ecosinema’ event with the theme of ‘Another World is Possible,’ which includes two short climate stories on screen from Bangladesh and an event in partnership with the Land Workers Alliance, all on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis.
Annita Nitsaidou, Marketing Officer at WOW Festival explains why these are important themes for WOW in 2023:
The climate and cost of living crises are two issues that are as local as they are global, just like Ecosinema. We want to accentuate the urgency of climate change, its global nature and the need for sustainable solutions – reminding us all that ‘Another World is Possible’. We have always believed in the power of storytelling to create social change and by making ‘Ecosinema’ accessible with our ‘pay what you feel’ offer, it will continue to offer a platform for filmmakers, activists, and audiences to come together and engage in meaningful conversations. A space where people can learn, be inspired and be part of a community that is committed to making a positive difference in the world.
Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF) have a host of events on offer all year, from free monthly screenings at their Cardiff Animation Nights, to regular free family film club screenings at both Chapter in Canton and Oasis’ centre in Splott. They are also continuing their ‘Planet Positive’ strand of screenings and talks on how animation can help fight the climate crisis.
Festival Director, Lauren Orme explains how CAF is creating a community around animation in Wales:
CAF is all about bringing people together around a love of animation. We’re running a year-round programme of films, talks and activities people can get involved in, to nurture the kind and welcoming community we’ve built around animation over the past nine years – which is more important than ever after lockdown. We’re making our programme more accessible and inclusive through captioning and BSL interpretation, and making our events free wherever we can. We’re really grateful for the continued support of Film Hub Wales, who have helped CAF to grow since our first festival.
Other highlights Wales wide include free films for families at the Magic Lantern in Tywyn and special climate conscious events as part of the ‘Greener Tywyn’ initiative. At Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival there will be a free Manga café alongside events, where audiences can read Japanese comics after watching a film. At Cellb in Blaenau Ffestiniog, they have monthly Youth PicZ screenings where their Clwb Clinc youths can watch films at affordable prices, whilst also building their skills in front of house, projection, technical and media techniques.
Hana Lewis, Strategic Manager for Film Hub Wales explains why funding for exhibition is so important:
The Film Exhibition Fund exists to help cinemas, festivals and community screens to bring the best UK independent and international films to audiences right across Wales. Welsh exhibitors are navigating serious challenges like the cost of living crisis, whilst also adapting at a time of global climate crisis. This is no easy thing to do but they never fail to think creatively – meaning that Welsh cinemas and festivals are still the best places to watch films and for audiences to enjoy an affordable night out. Investment to preserve these community services is crucial.
The projects are supported by Film Hub Wales, which is part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) using funds from the National Lottery to ensure the greatest choice of cinema is available to everyone across the UK. Funds in Wales are administered by FHW via Chapter as the Film Hub Lead Organisation.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
Download the full press release here
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Purpose of the Role
The post holder will work with the screen sector in Wales to develop audiences for films with Welsh connections, with a focus on theatrical and non-theatrical exhibition. They will offer tailored advice to rights holders about releasing a film in Wales, monitor film performance data, develop marketing approaches and assets which add value to the film’s release. This role is supported by funding from Creative Wales.
Film Hub Wales has released a report examining the performance of 14 key films with Welsh connections released in cinemas between March 2021 and March 2022.
The films, which range from Prano Bailey Bond’s Censor, to Lindsay Walker’s The Welshman, were selected as a sample from 20 known titles, reflecting a range of release strategies and sizes. All titles benefitted from the support of Film Hub Wales’ Made in Wales (MIW) strategy, which is funded by Creative Wales and the BFI. Welsh connections include where films were set or filmed in Wales, or made by or featuring Welsh talent.
This unique report, which was written by distribution consultant Delphine Lievens, leads on from an equivalent study commissioned by Film Hub Wales in 2020. It outlines a range of key data including how Welsh films are funded, produced, marketed and distributed, along with a range of diversity statistics. The aim of the work is to create new benchmarks against which emerging trends in Welsh audience behaviour can be explored annually, enabling the screen industry to respond.
Film Hub Wales Manager, Hana Lewis explains:
We take inspiration from countries such as Sweden where they routinely publish data about the performance of their homegrown films and use this to inform future productions as well as distribution and sales strategies. There’s a lack of shared data about film in Wales and we believe by developing this work we can better understand how audiences respond to on-screen content and interrogate issues around equity, prioritising films that explore fair representation. It also enables us to understand how well Made in Wales is working as a scheme, so we can tailor our support and ensure Welsh stories reach audiences.
The 14 titles reviewed for this report took £1.1million at UK and Ireland box office, with 13% of those admissions in Wales (an increase of 2% since 2020). Three quarters (77%) of the films exceeded the 3.15% average market share for 2021 Welsh box office. The report shows that smaller Welsh-set or Welsh story-based releases were popular with cinemas and their audiences in Wales. It highlights films such as The Welshman which had 100% of its screenings in Welsh cinemas; La Cha Cha, which took 99% of its box office from Welsh sites and The Toll, which made 83% of box office takings within Wales.
Director of The Welshman Lindsay Walker explains how important the support of Welsh cinemas and Made in Wales was to the release of the film:
It was so important that The Welshman screened at local cinemas, it was special! It brought communities together and gave a bigger sense of pride to our history in Wales. Having the film screened at independent cinemas during the pandemic allowed smaller cinemas to open and put audiences back into seats and Made in Wales helped us to achieve that. It’s amazing what film can do by bringing people together.
One of the key findings of the report is that despite a growing commitment to equity and inclusion within the UK film industry, none of the 14 films analysed were directed, produced or written by Black or non-Black people of colour, which was a decrease from 4% in 2020. Although there was a 32% increase in women directors and 10% increase in women producers, none were filmmakers of colour. There was a 2% increase in lead credits for actors from non-white backgrounds (from 7% to 9.38%).
Ila Mehrotra, Director of upcoming feature Being Hijra (2023) documenting India’s first transgender modeling agency, explains why stories from diverse filmmakers are crucial for Wales:
When we are given then chance to tell our own stories, then tokenism becomes a thing of the past, but in order to get there the film industry needs to provide us with well-paid, creative opportunities that create long-term financial and creative stability in our lives. Only then will we see real change in front of and behind the camera.
Other key data included that there were no Welsh language features released during the period (a decrease from one film, Anorac, in 2020). It is anticipated that this will improve significantly over the coming years with the announcement of the new Sinema Cymru Development Fund.
Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director, Creative Wales adds:
This type of research is so important as it helps to provide an accurate picture of the film sector in Wales and enables us to identify areas where we must do a better job of reflecting and representing our communities. While it is encouraging to see an increase in the representation of female directors in the screen industry in 2021/22, it is clear that there is a lot still to do to challenge the lack of diversity and inclusion across Film and TV. Creative Wales is committed to driving change in this arena through continued partnership working, financial support and supporting trainee schemes. Our mission is to tackle these issues head on and, in turn, create more opportunities for people from all backgrounds, at every stage of their career in screen.
Films meeting wider inclusion criteria may have been funded between March 2020 and March 2021 but not released, and were therefore ineligible for analysis in this report. Film Hub Wales is committed to undertaking this research annually, subject to funding, and is working on a selection of titles with diverse talent, releasing in 2023.
Film Hub Wales’ MIW project offers year-round activities in partnership with Welsh exhibitors, including a film catalogue, which hosts over 700 shorts and features with Welsh connections. MIW is made possible thanks to direct support from Welsh Government via Creative Wales and the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), awarding funds from the National Lottery. BFI FAN offers support to exhibitors across the whole of the UK, to boost cultural programming and engage diverse audiences. In Wales, activity is led by Film Hub Wales, managed by Chapter.
Audiences can keep up to date with news of the upcoming Welsh releases on the Made in Wales section of Film Hub Wales’ website, or by following @Filmhubwales on social media.
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Inclusive Cinema’s podcast series, Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming, provides information and guidance to support exhibitors in improving cinema experiences for working-class people and those in poverty.
The resource comprises a series of six podcast episodes that cover a range of areas, from sliding-scale ticketing and equitable employment practices, to the films that are programmed and how they are presented.
There is also an access and inclusion checklist to support venues, festivals, industry initiatives and event organisers with strategic and operational measures to welcome working-class audiences and colleagues.
The series is presented by Dr. Leanne Dawson, senior lecturer in Film and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant.
Seven independent cinemas across Wales will receive funding from Film Hub Wales to support their venues with rising costs this spring.
As venues balance significant financial pressures, funds will be used to ensure that the best UK independent and international films continue to reach communities at affordable prices.
Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming is a free resource to help cinemas be more inclusive.
Inclusive Cinema is launching a new free resource: Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming, providing information and guidance to support exhibitors in improving cinema experiences for working-class people and those in poverty.
The resource comprises a series of six podcast episodes that cover a range of areas, from sliding-scale ticketing and equitable employment practices, to the films that are programmed and how they are presented. There is also an access and inclusion checklist to support venues, festivals, industry initiatives and event organisers with strategic and operational measures to welcome working-class audiences and colleagues.
Addressing the wider social context and responding to the omission of class or socio-economic position in the UK’s 2010 Equality Act, Dr Leanne Dawson (equality, diversity, and inclusion consultant, author, and academic in Screen Studies) was commissioned to explore the impact of cultural, social, and economic barriers on working-class people and their engagement with independent cinemas and pursuing careers in the industry.
Through sharing research and personal experiences, the series provides practical guidance and encouragement for organisations, outlining how positive interventions can lead to increased diversity across audiences and the workforce. It looks at the definition of ‘working-class,’ which groups many different experiences together — some people raised in poverty, others not, some in towns, some rurally, some with multiple diverse characteristics — and considers social mobility between classes and the impacts of financial income and cultural capital to participation in independent cinema.
Checklists outlining inclusion strategies and measures will accompany the podcasts. A film programming resource will also highlight the rich diversity of working-class stories and talent behind and in front of the camera, covering fiction features, documentary and short film. This will be complemented by ideas to make screenings available and more welcoming to working-class audiences, colleagues, as well as creatives, resulting in a deeper engagement with independent films and venues. Booking details and information on access materials, such as descriptive subtitles and audio description, will also be provided where possible.
Dr. Dawson explains why putting this resource together should be helpful to the exhibition sector:
I really want to help you make your cinema, festival, screening, or event as welcoming as possible to all working-class people. This series of resources comprises podcasts offering practical tips on how to attract and welcome more working class people and accompanying checklist documents that can be easily used to note what you’re currently doing well and what could be further improved on your journey to working-class inclusion.
Resource topics include:
The podcast and accompanying documents will be available through the Inclusive Cinema website on 1st March 2023: inclusivecinema.org
Inclusive Cinema is led by Film Hub Wales and supported by the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) – using funds from the National Lottery to ensure the greatest choice of cinema is available to everyone across the UK. Funds in Wales are administered by FHW via Chapter as the Film Hub Lead Organisation.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
We’re making time to talk about films!
Join us online for our quarterly programming get-togethers where we’ll talk about a selection of the best new British independent and international film releases.
The sessions are hosted by curator Rachel Pronger. There will be film tips for your upcoming programme, time to talk with peers about the films you’re looking forward to and to discover the ones you might otherwise miss. We’ll also discuss how to programme and market them.
These sessions will run quarterly to support you with year-round audience development. Exhibitors of all shapes and sizes are welcome, we’ll explore how to make the sessions useful for everyone.
About Rachel
Rachel Pronger is a curator, writer and programme consultant. She began her career working in communications for the BFI London Film Festival, Picturehouse Cinemas and Film Hub Scotland, before moving into programming roles at Alchemy Film & Arts, Tyneside Cinema, Sheffield DocFest and Aesthetica Short Film Festival. As co-founder of feminist film collective Invisible Women she has co-curated programmes and delivered events for partners such as the BFI Southbank, Cinema Rediscovered, Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam, BalkanCanKino Athens, HOME Manchester and Glasgow Film Theatre. Her writing on film has been published by outlets including Sight & Sound, The Guardian, MUBI Notebook, Little White Lies and BBC Culture. She also regularly chairs Q&As, panels and workshops centred on feminism, archiving and film history.
When:
Where:
Book your place here (January)
This event is exclusively for members of Film Hub Wales. If you’re not a member, you can join here.
Update from Manager, Hana Lewis.
I’m going to start with a thank you, to all of you that gave up your time to come to meetings and fill in consultation surveys in 2022, as the BFI shaped their Screen 2023 strategy. The fact that we all came together with the same goal of championing film exhibition in Wales, is something we’re personally very grateful for and we don’t underestimate the value of your time.
Many of you will have seen the recent announcement from the BFI that the BFI Film Audience Network will continue beyond April 2023 as part of their 10-year National Lottery Funding Strategy. I’m delighted to say that Film Hub Wales, with Chapter as the Hub Lead Organisation, is one of 11 UK-wide strategic partners to receive National Lottery Funding from the BFI to continue developing cinema audiences for UK independent and international film.
What does this mean for Wales? Film Hub Wales will receive an award of £895,500 over the three-year strategy (£286,900 annually). This award will be split across skills development, audience research, communications, a new ‘spotlight’ project and the film exhibition fund – which will re-launch in late March / early April. The training bursary fund and pitch pot will remain open year-round with renewed budget in April.
Based on what you told us during the consultation and the challenging landscape across exhibition, we are making some adjustments to our programmes. We’re planning on running quarterly programming sessions online to give us a chance to actually talk about the best new film releases. We’re also aiming to get together more, including an annual event where we can share ideas. We’re also talking to the National Screen and Sound Archive for Wales about access to Welsh content and exploring the costs of digitisation for key titles.
Our Made in Wales project which celebrates films with Welsh connections, is currently funded to March 31st 2023 and we are working on the future funding plan, with films such as Being Hijra and London Recruits in our calendar. We will also work with our partners at Ffilm Cymru Wales / BFI Network Cymru to champion new and emerging filmmakers across the UK.
We will collaborate with BFI Film Academy Plus, the newly named UK-wide in-venue education offer, which will help to connect 16- to 25-year-olds to film culture and career pathways. Also led by Chapter in Wales, funding will support masterclasses, screenings and bursaries. The scheme will help young film enthusiasts to learn about the industry, watch cultural cinema, get to know their local venues and develop skills as independent filmmakers and curators.
There will be additional new activities across the wider BFI Film Audience Network, which we’ll discuss with you in the coming weeks as those plans are established.
Finally, we are truly saddened that the FAN Inclusive Cinema (IC) project comes to an end in March. There is still so much work to be done but we are proud of our ambitions and the contributions that we have made. We extend our deepest thanks to IC’s partners and advisers. We wave goodbye to Toki Allison, our talented IC Project Manager, as she heads on to an exciting new role. You will be able to access some fantastic new resources in the final weeks of the project including Trans Loving Care and Working-Class Cinema. We will update you on how to access resources created across the life of the project in the coming months.
We hope you can join us for Hub Helo at Hay Castle on the 23rd March, where we’ll talk more about the year ahead.
Until then – long live cinema.
