Catch up on BFI FAN CON

Insights and innovation from the first edition of BFI FAN CON

The inaugural BFI FAN CON took place in Belfast in September 2024, with events at Queen’s University Belfast and Queen’s Film Theatre. The event saw cinemas and film exhibitors from across the UK gather to strengthen their professional networks, learn about the most exciting BFI FAN projects, and draw inspiration on new ways to reach and engage audiences in a diverse screen culture.

If you weren’t able to join us in Belfast, you can catch up on selected sessions now, featuring fascinating case studies and perspectives from across the film exhibition sector.

Click the titles below to be redirected to each session recording (includes captions):

Updates from the Industry and Sector-Wide Initiatives

Saving Our Cinema, Securing Our Future

Contemporary Collecting and Future Audience

Making Film Festivals More Sustainable and Inclusive

Releasing Irish Films: From Script to Screen

New Audiences for Repertory Film

The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Attending the Cinema

The Evolving Role of AI in Cinema

Nature Restoration in Film Exhibition

Integrating Accessible Cinema Experiences for All Audiences

Film Policy 101: Where does the money come from and how does it get to exhibition?

Family Fortunes: Reaching Families and Children

Watch the session recordings

WATCHBACK: Updates from the Industry and Sector-Wide Initiatives

A chance to get updates and ask questions to representatives of some new and continuing developments in the industry including the newly-established Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), which seeks to uphold and improve standards of behaviour in the sector, and Escapes, the BFI’s national scheme that collaborates with independent cinemas to offer new audiences an opportunity to enjoy the big screen experience and discover cinema.

Speakers: Jen Smith, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority; Delphine Lievens, Escapes; chaired by Catharine Des Forges, ICO & Film Hub South East

WATCHBACK: Saving Our Cinema, Securing Our Future

This session will look at a range of independent cinemas across the UK that have successfully embarked on ambitious renovation programmes to secure their futures. It is designed to be an inspirational, practical session, reflecting on challenges faced and lessons learnt by venues at various points along their redevelopment journeys: Strand Arts Centre, Belfast; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff; and Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds.

Speakers: Mimi Turtle, Strand Arts Centre; Wendy Cook, Hyde Park Picture House; Claire Vaughan, Chapter Arts Centre

WATCHBACK: Contemporary Collecting and Future Audiences

As film archives across the UK work to ensure their screen heritage collections better reflect the UK’s diverse communities, many are addressing the new shared challenge of collecting today’s digital moving image works and ensuring these histories are preserved for future generations. This session will consider how exhibitors can partner with archives on these contemporary collecting programmes, exploring opportunities for engaging new audiences in this work and providing a critical access point for communities to share their stories and learn from others.

Speakers: Elspeth Vischer, Northern Ireland Now, Nerve Centre/NI Screen; Jemma Buckley, Our Screen Heritage, British Film Institute; chaired by Hugh Odling-Smee, Film Hub NI

WATCHBACK: Making Film Festivals More Sustainable and Inclusive

How can we think differently and more expansively about the role and potential of film festivals? Yi Wang, Director of Queer East in London, will look at how challenging a top-down programming approach by using guest curators has led to greater inclusivity and richer experiences for audiences while Michael Pattison, Director of Alchemy Film & Arts in Hawick, will share how their festival, through its Film Town initiative, has become a multi-dimensional year-round presence that has increased engagement and local opportunity while leading to a more equitable and sustainable organisation for those working in it.

Featuring speakers Michael Pattison, Alchemy Film & Arts; Yi Wang, Queer East; chaired by James Calver, ICO & Film Hub South East

WATCHBACK: Releasing Irish Films: From Script to Screen

Irish film has become a global force to be reckoned with over the past few years, due in no small part to the commitment and passion of independent distributors who place significant value on audience engagement from the outset. Join Patrick O’Neill from Wildcard Distribution (Kneecap, Lyra) and Robert McCann-Finn from Break Out Pictures (The Quiet Girl, That They May Face the Rising Sun) as they discuss the state of the cinema industry across Ireland and give us a sneak peek at some upcoming releases. This session was supported by Northern Ireland Screen.

Hosted by Sara Gunn-Smith, Film Hub NI with Patrick O’Neill, Wildcard Distribution & Robert McCann-Finn, Break Out Pictures

WATCHBACK: New Audiences for Repertory Film

This panel discussion will look at the new wave of audience interest in repertory cinema that’s evident at the box office; taking in the success of events such as Cinema Rediscovered and BFI Film on Film and the success of Letterboxd in fuelling interest in repertory film, discussing how FAN members can harness this energy to attract new audiences and enrich their programmes.

Speakers: Steph Read, Cinema Rediscovered; James Bell, Film on Film; Abiba Coulibaly, Atlas Cinema & Brixton Community Cinema; chaired by Mosa Mpetha, Cinema Africa! & Hyde Park Picture House

WATCHBACK: The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Attending the Cinema

This session looks at how cinema can help keep us healthy. Drawing on case studies of successful projects that have used cinema as part of a social prescription model, research from hospital cinema sites, and case-studies of other projects that have used the collective experience of cinema-going to help our mental wellbeing, this session will inspire us to think in new ways about the role of film exhibition and challenge us to better articulate the healing power of cinema.

Speakers: Claire Horrocks, Exeter Phoenix; Beth Keane & Paul Giggal, MediCinema; Tash Jagger, Films Girls Galore

WATCHBACK: The Evolving Role of AI in Cinema

This interactive session explores the evolving role of AI in cinema and wider culture, covering current applications for video, image, music and text generation, while also exploring how AIs can be used to create games and interactive experiences. Covering key concepts in AI, the session will discuss practical topics like prompt engineering fundamentals and using AI for data analysis. Designed for all knowledge levels, this session aims to provide a foundation for understanding AI’s potential in cinema and offers strategies for continued self-learning and personal innovation.

Speakers: Jocelyn Burnham, Independent AI Practitioner and Trainer; supported by Lily van den Broecke, Film Hub South East

WATCHBACK: Nature Restoration in Film Exhibition

Have you wondered how cinemas could help reverse the decline of nature in the UK? Have you considered how you could incorporate nature more in your environmental policies? Perhaps your cinema could help one of our endangered urban species whilst also building communities and engaging potential audiences. Join the RSPB Belfast Window on Wildlife along with freelance community coordinator and film exhibitor Olivia James in this introduction to how film exhibitors can positively incorporate nature. Bring along your ideas, questions, suggestions and examples and get involved (or sit back and be inspired).

Speakers: Tádhg MacCannadh (Tim McCann), RSPB Belfast Window on Wildlife; Olivia James, Freelance Community Coordinator & Film Exhibitor & Annita Nitsaidou, WOW Wales One World Film Festival

WATCHBACK: Integrating Accessible Cinema Experiences for All Audiences

In this session, Matchbox Cine’s Charlie Little will contribute their thoughts to the recent industry exploration of cinema subtitle glasses, sharing a perspective of lived experience and accessible film exhibition expertise before going on to discuss the inclusive practice of reliable descriptive subtitled screenings. Guest speaker Paul Lofting of Paramount will be invited to discuss Paramount’s UK-wide campaign and initiative to roll out preview screenings with descriptive subtitles and BSL training for cinema staff.

Speakers: Charlie Little, Matchbox Cine; Paul Lofting, Sales Director, Paramount Pictures; supported by Mikaela Smith, ICO

WATCHBACK: Film Policy 101: Where does the money come from and how does it get to exhibition?

Ever wondered how money from the government and the National Lottery reaches film exhibitors? This session will shed light on the pathways through which public funds are made available for film and how they reach exhibitors. Led by the BFI’s Jack Powell, it will explore how the BFI works with DCMS and the National Lottery on policy and funding. With a new government in post, the session will also consider what changes there might be on the horizon and how exhibitors can contribute to future advocating efforts.

Speaker: Jack Powell, BFI; chaired by Catharine Des Forges, ICO

WATCHBACK: Family Fortunes: Reaching Families and Children

We all know that audience demographics have changed significantly post- COVID, and research from The Audience Agency tells us that family groups are the fastest growing audience and increasing their cultural activities overall. We’ll look at that research in this session and hear from Exeter Phoenix and Cinemagic Film Festival in Northern Ireland about how they’ve successfully engaged children and family audiences and developed a sustainable practice.

Speakers: Oliver Mantell, The Audiences Agency; Claire Horrocks, Exeter Phoenix ; Claire Shaw, Cinemagic; chaired by Kirsten Geekie, BFI Film London