BFFS Annual Survey 2009
Screenings run by communities represent an integral part of the UK’s diverse exhibition landscape. Yet how does this fit into the wider context of cinema exhibition in the UK? To learn more about the nature and content of the sector, each year BFFS conducts an annual survey of community exhibition across the UK.
The results summarised below paint a very strong picture of the value delivered by community cinema. No one reading them can be in any doubt of the vital role played by film societies and other community cinema enterprises.
In general, community cinema audiences are growing…
- Annual admissions of like-for-like organisations grew by 9%, compared with a rise of 1% in commercial cinema admissions across the UK in 2008.
- We estimate that film societies and community cinemas recorded around 347,000 admissions in 2008/09. Theatrical ticket sales on this scale would have generated box office revenues of £1.8 million.
Community cinema promotes unparalleled access to specialised film on the big screen…
- Responding organisations screened 683 different titles (up from 625 in 2007/08), compared with 527 released in cinemas in the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2008. 70% of these titles were screened by only one film society or community cinema, indicating the diversity of programming choices made by the sector as a whole.
- One quarter (25%) of the films screened by film societies and community cinemas were British, and 49% were in a foreign language. By comparison, 21% of films released in commercial cinemas in 2008 were British and 36% were in a foreign language.
- The three most programmed films were The Kite Runner (2007), Persepolis (2007) and Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).
Community cinema brings film to all parts of the country…
- Film societies and community cinemas enhance film provision in areas otherwise neglected by commercial cinemas:
- 44% operated in rural areas (compared with 3% of commercial screens), and 44% of all admissions were generated in the South West and South East regions (which accounted for 12% of UK commercial cinema admissions in 2008).
- On average, film societies and community cinemas were located around 9 miles away from the nearest commercial cinema.
Read the full report
