The Cinema of Ideas is the ICO’s innovative virtual screen: a forum for collaboration, discussion, and film.
A revenue-sharing online film streaming platform, the Cinema of Ideas gives independent cinemas the opportunity to enrich their programme offer through an extra virtual screen without financial risk; enabling them to experiment and connect with the widest possible audience through an exciting, culturally relevant programme of underseen cinema exploring issues around race, disability, gender, sexuality and class.
Through the Cinema of Ideas, the ICO is working with filmmakers, artists, archivists, film historians, film critics, freelance film collectives and emerging curators to showcase the work they do to explore the full scope of contemporary film culture and film heritage.
Our partner cinemas are: Barn Dartington, Chapter Cardiff, Derby QUAD, HOME Manchester, Kinokulture Oswestry, Northampton Filmhouse, The Place Bedford, Warwick Arts Centre and Wellington Orbit.
Trailer
Past events
Life in the Woods
A short film, cult documentary, and live discussion about a sustainable future on Earth
Presented as two films and a live conversation, Life in the Woods celebrates the wonder which can be found in nature and charts a path towards a more sustainable way of living. Lucile Hadžihalilović’s short De Natura (2018) and the endlessly fascinating The Moon and Sledgehammer (1971) make up the programme, with Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese, authors of the recently-published Half-Earth Socialism, joining us to discuss their plan for a future free from extinction, climate change and pandemics.
Click here for more info on the programme.
Hamro Katha: Showcasing the Work of Nepali Women Filmmakers
Streaming 3-17 March
Curated by the current cohort of ICO FEDS trainees, Hamro Katha (which translates to ‘Our Stories’) highlights the work of women filmmakers from the bustling and somewhat underrepresented film scene in Nepal. The programme shares the stories of women and girls who want their voices heard and dreams shared, and aims to ignite discussion about the experiences faced by women in Nepal. Presented as a collection of shorts and a live filmmaker Q&A, Hamro Katha gives insight into contemporary Nepali culture, touching on themes of community, gender and women’s rights.
Click here to watch a recording of the Q&A.
Black Film Bulletin Presents - The Gaze
A collection of short films by trailblazing British filmmakers from the African-Caribbean diaspora, plus live Q&A Weds 26 Jan.
A collection of short films by trailblazing British filmmakers from the African-Caribbean diaspora, curated by the editors of Black Film Bulletin magazine (BFB). The Gaze collection is presented alongside And This Too Shall Pass: Decolonizing Film – a video essay revisiting the early history of the Black Film Bulletin – and a live Q&A with founding editor of the Black Film Bulletin Dr June Givanni and writer Jennifer G. Robinson.
Click here to watch a recording of the event.