Plymouth Arts Cinema is celebrating a new film culture for Plymouth following a £35,000 BFI Audience Award using funds from the National Lottery.
The award will support the delivery of Plymouth Arts Cinema’s film programme and marketing costs to enable to the cinema to further engage with young audiences across the city and surrounding areas, and to consolidate its position as an independent cultural cinema within the city.
The organisation is pleased to be supported in 2020 with further grant funding from Plymouth City Council.
After moving from its original venue at Looe Street and doubling in size to a newly refurbished 118-seat cinema at Plymouth College of Art in 2019, Plymouth Arts Cinema has enjoyed a very successful first year in its new home.
The cinema is also developing its community of film lovers with a brand new Membership scheme, an expansion of the previous Friends scheme.
People can join one of three tiers, Supporter, Friend, and Champion, which will allow access to all films screened at the independent cinema.
Director and Film Programmer Anna Navas said:
“We are thrilled with the award and thankful to BFI for their endorsement.
“Grants, donations and memberships help us to programme all the things that make us distinctive as an independent cinema. We can respond to local interests, be involved in city-wide cultural events, host Q&As with special guests, support local filmmakers and show archive footage, as well as Bringing in Baby and Relaxed screenings, that make cinema accessible to a wider range of people. We are passionate about the importance of cultural cinema here in Plymouth.”
BFI UK Wide Audiences Manager Sarah-Jane Meredith said:
“We’re delighted to support the next phase of Plymouth Arts Cinema as it establishes itself as a cultural hub for the city and surrounding areas – continuing to provide audiences in the South West of England with the widest choice of independent film and actively engaging with local and national initiatives.”
Plymouth Arts Cinema runs as a charity. Details of Plymouth Arts Cinema’s supporters and the new Membership scheme can be found here: https://plymouthartscentre.org/support-us/
The cinema’s March – April film programme has just been announced, with highlights such as Emma, Military Wives, Queen & Slim, The Biggest Little Farm and A True History of the Kelly Gang.