The University of Brighton to lead a new regional initiative in the South East.
The University of Brighton, Film Hub South East has been awarded £900,000 to lead a regional initiative to bring more specialised and independent British films to UK audiences.
In addition to the university, BFI’s Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) includes seven other regional partners (Film Hub Lead Organisations) aiming to bring diverse, exciting films and events to the public.
The South East consortium is comprised of Brighton-based partners: Brighton & Hove City Council, Cinecity, which curates and presents Brighton’s annual film festival, Lighthouse, a creative agency working at the intersection of the art, film and education, Picturehouse Cinemas, the UK’s leading arthouse cinema and Screen Archive South East, which collects, preserves, promotes and provides public access to screen heritage.
The groundbreaking deal is part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) will bring together film, education, community, exhibition, archive and events experts to offer more choice and grow new audiences, particularly for specialised and independent British films.
At the new network launch on 3 September, Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI said: “BFI FAN is an important and exciting new initiative that goes to the heart of the BFI’s vision to bring a greater choice of film to audiences, no matter where they live in the UK. BFI FAN enables a whole range of partners across the UK - already experts at understanding their local and regional audiences - to truly work together as a network to the benefit of audiences and film makers.”
The eight organisations are collectively receiving BFI lottery funding of up to £7.5m over four years (2013-17) and will support major national celebrations of cinema across each of the Film Hub regions, with the ambition to stage some simultaneously. Film Hub activity will be tailored to local audiences and geography, and will include support for touring and archive programmes; pop-up’s and live events; projects aimed at engaging the next generation of film fans and sector led skills training in areas such as programming, marketing, fundraising and technical delivery.
Through FAN, the BFI aims to unite a range of partners including cinema exhibitors, film festivals, educators, film societies, community venues, Regional Film Archives and others. BFI FAN will complement the BFI’s film education initiatives to form a comprehensive new audience development strategy, as set out in the BFI’s Film Forever five-year plan, to help put film at the centre of UK cultural life.
More information: www.bfi.org.uk/fan
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