In 2017 Blaenau Ffestiniog suffered severe Winter weather, which caused a burst in the cinema heating system. Unbeknown to the staff, the leak infected the original 1900’s woodwork and created dry rot in the cinema space. The insurance company claim was rejected and the temporary closure has affected the business, which relies on screenings as their main aspect of income generation.
Rhys Ifans, the star of films such as Notting Hill, Mr.Nice, The Boat That Rocked and the Welsh classic comedy Twin Town, made two videos, one in English and one in Welsh, calling for support for the cinema:
“Hello, just a quick message, to ask and to urge, all of you to support in whichever way you can the campaign, to save the CellB cinema, in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and to insure, that this extraordinary facility, run by the amazing Gwallgofiaid will be with us in Wales and with Blaenau Ffestiniog for decade upon decade to come. Thank you very much ta-ra.”
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You can watch the video here:
Michael Sheen also backed the campaign on Twitter. Michael appeared in films such as Frost/Nixon, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and Apostle, the 2018 Netflix period horror film from Welsh writer and director Gareth Evans set on a remote Welsh island:
“The first cinema in over 40 years in Blaenau Ffestiniog, now run by a social enterprise @CeLLBlaenau needs our help to stay open! If you can, please donate £6, the cost of a child’s ticket and let’s keep films running for another 40 years.”
You can view the tweet here:
The cinema at Cellb is run by Gwallgofiaid, a not-for-profit social enterprise that has been providing creative training for the young people of Blaenau Ffestiniog and the county of Gwynedd since 2003. It is located in one of Gwynedd’s most low-income areas and is the first cinema in the area since the 1950s. The cinema, which is located in the old police station, opened in 2016 and in its first year had 12,000 people through the doors. They now need support in order to ensure the cinema’s future.
Rhys Roberts of Cellb says:
“We need a cinema at the heart for the community and as a resource for the young to develop their horizons and to flower.”
Audiences are also supporting the cinema, including the local pensioners forum, who are hosting a screening of The First Grader on the 7th December, with proceeds going towards the campaign.
The cinema is an active member of Film Hub Wales, part of the British Film Institute’s Film Audience Network (BFI FAN), which is brought to you as part of the new BFI 2022 strategy, thanks to funding from the National Lottery for eight BFI FAN Hubs across the UK.
Hana Lewis, Strategic Manager of Film Hub Wales explains:
“Since the beginning of their journey CellB have always been bursting with ideas. From dementia friendly screenings to new advertising models. They’re also a proactive member of our pioneering network of cinemas in North Wales: Off Y Grid. The cinema is unique, retaining many original features from it’s time as the town police station. The cells are now often full of materials used by young people in Blaenau to create film projects. The cinema is a crucial resource in the community, with audiences having to travel over 30 minutes to the next nearest cinema.”
The company are asking for donations via a Crowdfunder page, with rewards including free cinema tickets, a plaque with your name on a cinema seat, a gold spot advert before film screenings, a lifetime Golden Ticket to every event at CellB. There is less than 2 weeks left to donate, with over £2500 more to raise. You can view the Crowdfunder page here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sinemablaenau
Cellb also produced a video explaining about the Crowdfunding campaign, which you can view here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygJW_mvwZoE
For enquiries please contact Rhys Roberts at rhys@cellb.org 01766832001, or Lisa Nesbitt at lisa@filmhubwales.org
ABOUT CELLB
CellB is an independent cinema, venue and community training space. The cinema offers film screenings, live performances, pensioners screenings, dementia friendly screenings and works with young programmers. The venue is also available for private hire for community events, children’s parties and educational and professional film making activities.
The cinema is run by Gwallgofiaid, a not-for-profit organisation. In 2009, they worked alongside pupils from Ysgol Molewyn to create Picz, a monthly cinema night for youths. On the back of the success of these nights the Art Council of Wales, Magnox and a company bank investment, funded Blaenau Ffestiniog’s first cinema in 40 years.
https://twitter.com/cellblaenau
https://www.facebook.com/CellBlaenau/
ABOUT FILM HUB WALES
Film Hub Wales aims to bring more films, to more people, in more places around Wales. Along with its independent member venues, FHW regularly develops inventive ways for people in Wales to go to the cinema.
Film Hub Wales (FHW) is one of eight UK wide ‘hubs’ funded by the BFI (British Film Institute) to form the Film Audience Network (FAN), with Chapter appointed as the Film Hub Lead Organisation (FHLO) in Wales. We aim to develop the exhibition sector through dedicated research, training and audience development project support. Since Film Hub Wales set up in 2013, we’ve supported over 180 exciting cinema projects, reaching over 308,000 audience members.
In partnership with our member cinemas, arts centres, community venues, societies, festivals and wider film practitioners, FHW aims to celebrate and support the vibrant cultural film sector here in Wales, working together to expand and increase choice for audiences, regardless of where they live.
filmhubwales.org
twitter.com/FilmHubWales
facebook.com/filmhubwales
ABOUT THE BFI
The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:
The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role:
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE.
ABOUT THE BFI FILM AUDIENCE NETWORK
Film Hub Wales is a lead film hub partner in the BFI Film Audience Network.
The BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) is a ground-breaking initiative that gives audiences across the UK the opportunity to see a broader range of films in a cinema setting. For filmmakers, getting films onto cinema screens is a highly competitive business, particularly for specialised films which includes archive, documentary, independent and foreign language films.
With £12 million of Lottery funding over four years (2018-22) the BFI FAN works with cinema exhibitors, film festivals, educators, film societies, community venues, film archives and other organisations in their regions or nations to boost audiences for film across the UK.
The film hub partners which drive audience engagement across the UK comprise: Broadway Cinema, Nottingham with Flatpack, Birmingham; Chapter, Cardiff;; Film London; Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast; Glasgow Film; the Independent Cinema Office (for the South East); Showroom Sheffield in partnership with HOME, Manchester & Tyneside Cinema; and Watershed, Bristol.
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