In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis and all the uncertainty that has come with it, we are collating a list of the support & resources which are available to cinemas and people working within the exhibition industry. We’ll continue to update this list as the situation develops and more initiatives are introduced. If you have any suggestions of useful resources to add, please let us know at info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Funds and resources
- Financial support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) extended from 1 November 2020
- Claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus
- Applications open to Kickstart scheme to support young people at risk of long-term unemployment
- Applications open to the Welsh Government’s Culture Recovery Fund Freelancer grant
- HMRC eligibility checker tool for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
- Applications open to Bounce Back Loan scheme for small and medium-sized businesses
- Employment and benefits support from the Government
- Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) now available to SMEs through participating lenders
- Creative Industries Federation and Crowdfunder launch Pay It Forward scheme to support creative businesses and freelancers
- Support from the government
- UK Cinema Worker Solidarity Fund
- UK freelance artist resources list
- Free creative resources for freelancers
- Business support and advice from LEP Growth Hubs
- Mayor of London launches Back to Business Fund, providing up to £5,000 in match funding to small and independent businesses in London
Useful information and advice
- UKCA safeguarding guidance on reopening cinemas, drive-in cinemas, and other outdoor cinemas
- Overview of the Film and TV Charity’s wellbeing support for the sector
- Information regarding rule of six and contact logs
- Updated government guidance on meeting with others safely
- FAN release safeguarding guidance on reopening non-theatrical & community cinemas
- UKCA and ScreenSkills launch online learning module and assessment around Covid-19 for those working in cinema exhibition
- ICO release survey results on independent sector’s views on reopening cinemas
- Government guidance on COVID-19
- HMRC helpline to support businesses affected by COVID-19
- COVID-19 advice from the World Health Organization
- Information for the screen sector from the BFI
- Wellbeing advice and resources at the Coronavirus Helpful Hub
- Mental wellbeing support from Mental Health First Aid England
- Funding and mental wellbeing advice from the Film and TV Charity
- Wellbeing advice from Mind
- Cinema Technology Community: Things to consider ahead of re-opening
- COVID-19 advice for BECTU members
- COVID-19 advice for Equity members
- COVID-19 advice for freelancers from IPSE
- Government measures to support the cinema sector during COVID-19
- CICAE’s recommendations for cinemas
- Creative Industries Federation’s guidance for the creative sector
- The latest advice regarding COVID-19 from The Bigger Picture
- Advice and support from Cinema For All
- Inclusive Cinema’s ideas on bringing cinema to younger and older audiences
- CovidCulture resource site from Arts Professional
- Resources for the freelance creative community
- Online independent title opportunities for FAN members
- Digital marketing recommendations for the arts community during Covid-19
- Guild’s guide to working remotely
- Useful links from Pact
- Information for the Northern Ireland screen industry
- Mental health tips from Anxiety UK
- Mental health podcast – 6ft From Mental Health in Film
- Advice for freelancers and the self-employed from IPSE
- Indigo Ltd release audience survey data
- A guide to creating a healthy and productive workspace at home
Opportunities
- Indigo Ltd launch Culture Restart Toolkit providing audience insight over next six months
- Screen Moguls launch GO.CINEMA platform to help cinemas run digital marketing campaigns
- Cinema For All launch new package to help volunteer-run cinemas reopen
- Korean Film Archive make a number of classic films available to watch online for free
- Classic RKO Pictures films available to watch on BBC iPlayer
- Mailchimp presents the SXSW 2020 short film selections
- Kino Arsenal make online streaming platform free to access
- Leeds Queer Film Festival collate list of free streaming LGBTQ+ films
- Watch 289 films from the last ten years of Open City Documentary Festival
- Cinema For All offer three extra months of membership
- Free six-month membership to Cinema Technology Community
- Free six-month membership to Creative Industries Federation
- Sundance Co//ab make online masterclasses available for free
- Three free months of MUBI for indie cinemas to distribute
- The Dots offer free postings for freelance jobs
- Voluntary Arts launch daily online get-together for anyone involved in arts, culture and creativity
- Women in Film & TV launch online events for members
- Documentary Association of Europe offer free online consultations
- Digital Culture Network online training
- Together Films #DigitalPerspective webinar series to help people transition to digital offerings
- ComScore webinar series on the effects of COVID-19 on the exhibition sector
- Vilnius Film Festival host discussion on the challenges of realising a digital film festival
- Cabin Fever, Kate Lain’s huge playlist of experimental films from around the world
- BFI set up new online offering to educate and entertain young people under 18
- BIFA make their Unconcious Bias training programme free for screen sector workers
- The Audience Agency launch Bounce Forwards, a package of accessible support and insights to help organisations innovate in the face of Covid-19
- Government partner with Small Business Charter to provide Small Business Leadership Programme
- Creative Industries Federation launch Talent Exchange, providing creatives with the tools and training to transfer their skills into a new sector
- TAPE Collective launch new online platform, Good Wickedry
Online communities
- Dial F for Freelancer: online platform for UK & Irish film exhibition and distribution freelancers
- ExcludedUK: support for those excluded from Covid-19 financial support
- Film & TV charity launch online community platform to support mental wellbeing of Film and TV professionals
- UK Film Exhibition & Distribution Freelancer Network
- UK Cinema Network
- Anti-viral work for freelancers and small businesses
- London Arts Community
- GiF (Girls in Film) Exchange
- Arts Marketing Association Coronavirus Support
- Club des Femmes Culture Club
- AFI Movie Club
- SHARE, the British Deaf Association’s platform making Deaf heritage accessible
Activities and guides
- ICO’s Introductory Guide to Film Projection
- ICO’s REACH: Strategic Audience Development online course
- ICO’s Developing Your Film Festival free online course
- Guide to free activities for young people to do at home from IntoFilm
- Future Learn’s online course on remote working
- Future Learn free online courses
- Cinema For All’s guide to online film clubs
- Screen Skills Ireland free online courses
- Screen Skills free indie training courses
- Free online training programmes from Screen Skills
- Free online course on film distribution from FDA
- OpenLearn free courses on a variety of subjects
- Free online courses from the British Council
- FAN’s guides and digital toolkits to help you tell new audiences about your events
Good reads, case studies, and articles to inspire you
- How to support your local cinema during this time
- This Work isn’t For Us
- The Seven Principles for an Inclusive Recovery
- Racism in the UK film industry: what needs to change and who needs to change it?
- Five industry representatives discuss how we can emerge from this crisis
- Accomodating d/Deaf audiences during Covid-19
- On the history of the Black Film Bulletin
- Hiding in Plain Sight – Discovering the Lost Cinemas of Leeds
- Reopening experiences from cinemas across Europe
- A vision of revitalised programming and pricing
- Imagining a more inclusive future cinema
- Further considerations for independent cinemas when thinking of reopening
- What cinemas can do right now
- Understanding the concerns of Black cinema goers as lockdown eases
- Genesis Cinema: Lessons learned a week after re-opening
- Marketing in a Pandemic
- The challenges of setting up a drive-in cinema
- How Flatpack took their festival online during the coronavirus crisis
- 10-step guide to making your social media more accessible
- The best Japanese film of every year since 1925
- Walter Murch on why cinema needs a crowd
- MUBI Notebook – A Cinephile’s Survival Kit to Quarantine
- How Saffron Screen are engaging their audience while their doors are closed
- The digital tools available to cinemas to engage their audience during the Covid-19 crisis
- Living and Working with Borderline Personality Disorder – A Navigational Guide
- Pressing Play Exhibitor Survey – What happens when we reopen our doors post-COVID-19?
- Why online festivals during COVID-19 are essential
- So, what happens now? How UK Cinemas keep going
- Rep Cinema Internatial Podcast 001: Film festivals going online
- Forty days to learn film with Mark Cousins
- How to write in a crisis
- How patrons are supporting cinemas around the world
- Why cinemas will bounce back from the Coronavirus crisis
- The outdoor screenings popping up around the world during the COVID-19 crisis
- Where to stream the best silent films