February 20th, 2023
Subtitled recordings from This Way Up, the UK’s only independent cinema conference, are now available to watch.
The hybrid conference was held at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) and online from 30 November to 1 December 2022. Over 180 in-person delegates attended the event, with over 50 delegates joining online.
Delegates attended discussions led by industry experts, interactive sessions, film screenings, and expanded reality experiences, plus a special St. Andrew’s Day networking event at V&A Dundee.
Online delegates could view a livestream of the sessions, as well as exclusive short film screenings.
Delivered by Film Hub Scotland and Film Hub North as part of the BFI Film Audience Network, every year This Way Up brings the exhibition sector together to share new ideas, celebrate achievements and collectively image the future of cinema-going for audiences across the UK. Previous editions have taken place in Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham.
The ninth edition of the conference acknowledged the challenges of the exhibition sector – in the context of the loss of CMI and other cinemas; high operational costs and the cost-of-living and energy crises – whilst embracing exciting ideas and opportunities for growth.
Four strands – The Joy of Film, The Business of Culture, Fresh Thinking and Community Building – were an umbrella for sessions that represented the shifting landscape of technology. The evolution of moving image formats was a key theme for the 2022 conference in the wake of BFI’s Screen Culture 2033 strategy.
Session highlights include:
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- A discussion between BFI’s Head of UK Audiences, Ben Luxford, and CEO of Glasgow Film, Allison Gardner, on BFI’s 10-year strategy Screen Culture 2033;
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- A screening of the UK’s Official Entry to the 2023 Academy Awards, Winners, plus a Q&A with the filmmakers (Winners is released by Modern Films on March 17);
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- CEO of Publikum Neils Alberg presenting AI-powered audience modelling technology;
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- A panel discussion on expanding accessible cinema provision featuring Toki Allison of Sidecard, Gavin Neate of WelcoMe and Stephanie Tyrrell of Subpac.
Nicola Kettlewood, Manager, Film Hub Scotland, says: “Every year, This Way Up brings the UK exhibition community, and those that work in independent film, together to share challenges and ideas. Our 2022 conference at Dundee Contemporary Arts highlighted the powerful things that can happen when we are all in a room together. We are excited to be able to share the inspiring speakers, panellists and screenings with a wider network to continue this important conversation.”
Sally Folkard, Strategic Manager, Film Hub North, says: “From its inception in 2014, This Way Up has grown to represent the varied and inspiring voices of the UK exhibition sector. Delivering the conference is more rewarding every year, particularly in light of the current challenges faced by our organisations and freelancers across the sector. The timely conversations at This Way Up 2022 will help inspire us for the future and remind us of the exhibition community’s potential to continuously evolve and adapt.”
