Join us for Screening Days March 2022 – a hybrid event running at BFI Southbank, London and online!
Screening Days is a chance for cinema professionals to preview key upcoming films to aid their programming, marketing and audience development.
We’re delighted to be returning to BFI Southbank for our flagship spring event, where we’ll be screening an array of the best independent films set for release in the months following so you can pack your programmes with new discoveries to delight your audiences.
This Screening Days is a hybrid (in-person and online) event. You can attend in-person at BFI Southbank from Sat 12 to Mon 14 March and/or watch a selection of films from the programme online from Tues 15 to Thurs 17 March.
For full details to date, read on and visit our FAQ.
Registration
Registration for this event has now closed. If you have any queries about your pass, email: info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Please note:
- Passes are not transferable.
- Streaming is only available within the UK and the Republic of Ireland and our online platform Eventive restricts concurrent streams, so every viewer must have their own pass.
- See our FAQ for information on device compatibility.
“The selection of films was amazing, it had such a diverse range. I found something I’d love to show at our site for all aspects of our audience!”
Screening Days March 2021 attendee
Films
Session
Hassle-Free Hybrid – in partnership with Eventive
With venues now open – hopefully permanently – it’s tempting to put online streaming behind us and focus on the joy of the big screen. But you could be missing out, as a hybrid approach combining in-person and streaming can enrich your programme, grow your bottom line, and by using the right technology, not use every minute of your precious time. In this session, we’ll hear a case study of a successful use of a hybrid approach and look at the practice for bringing a digital offer into your cinema.
This session is presented in partnership with Eventive, a sponsor of Screening Days.
Am I eligible?
We want to welcome as many people as possible to our events while still protecting the work of filmmakers and distributors. Screening Days is for anyone who works or volunteers in a space that shows films and who helps encourage audiences to watch them. If you’re in any doubt about your eligibility, just email us.
Support to attend Screening Days
If you need financial support to attend Screening Days, your regional Film Hub may be able to help in the form of bursaries for members (see links below). If your organisation is not yet a Hub member, it is usually easy to register quickly and it’s free.
COVID-19 Safety
All ICO staff will take a lateral flow test 24 hours prior to the event. While we do not require proof of negative tests from delegates, we ask that you do the same.
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms or feel unwell in any way, please do not attend the event. A full refund or change to an online pass will be available at any time before the event due to testing positive for COVID-19 or if changing circumstances mean you no longer feel safe attending in-person.
BFI Southbank asks you to wear masks when inside the building, including when in cinema screens, though these may be removed when you are eating or drinking in the Blue Room or BFI bars.
Read more details of BFI Southbank’s COVID-19 safety protocol.
If you have any queries on any point, let us know at info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Please note: this event is subject to change and cancellation pending any new developments with COVID-19. In this instance, we will post details here and email them to registered delegates.
Why do you run Screening Days?
Good question! We produce Screening Days for a few key reasons, best summarised as: ‘To help UK cinemas better serve all their possible audiences’. We focus the events on screenings and discussion because:
- We want cinemas across the UK to be able to make informed decisions about the films they programme, so audiences can see the best titles from around the world. That’s hard if you haven’t actually been able to watch the films and can’t afford to rely on expensive festival trips or distributor marketing materials.
- We think independent cinemas are best when their programming stands out. Screening Days aims to support ambition in cinema programming .
- We want to have useful conversations about what it’ll take to build a stronger independent cinema sector. Gathering people in the sector together helps us identify common problems and find ways to solve them.
- We also want to support independent distributors by helping their films find an audience in independent cinemas.
What do we want to achieve?
- Cinemas more regularly choosing films in our programme of independent British and world cinema titles and expanding the types of films they show.
- Cinemas attracting a wider range of people to those films.
- Attendees gaining a wider professional network and feeling part of a community.
- A wider group of people feeling that they can participate in film exhibition.
- Independent distributors feeling they’re able to play their films more widely from having been included in the programme.
FAQ
When can I see the schedule?
Films will screen in NFT 1, 2 and 3 at BFI Southbank. 24 films are due to screen over Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 March, with selected repeats from the programme screened on Monday 14 March.
Films screening online will be available from midnight (start) of Tuesday 15 to midnight (end) of Thursday 17 March. You can watch them within this window at times that suit you. Please note: three films from the programme are only available to watch in-person; while one (The Phantom of the Open) is only available to watch online.
When will I get full event info?
Shortly before the event, we’ll send you a PDF event pack with all details including film descriptions, instructions on how to join at BFI Southbank and/or online, and a participant list. We no longer colour print packs for everyone to avoid unnecessary waste, but we’ll ask if you would like a plain text, black-and-white hard copy of this pack (if you’re attending in-person at BFI Southbank) in our registration form.
Can I switch my pass from in-person and online to online only after registering?
Yes, you can switch your pass type from in-person and online to online only at any time before the event.
To switch your pass type or for any other queries about your pass, email us at: info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
How many films are available in-venue and online?
There are 24 films in the programme. All films will screen at BFI Southbank and we aim to make at least 12 titles from the programme available to watch online too. We will confirm if films will be available online as well as in-venue as they are announced. However, please note that we reserve the right to pull titles from online screenings if we have any issues on the delivery of materials closer to date.
See the full films line-up with information on how they will be screened.
What devices can I watch films on online?
For this event, we are working with Eventive. You can view films on Eventive on a laptop, tablet (e.g. iPad), phone, Chromecast and Airplay from your device, and via HDMI connector to your laptop. However, please note that you can’t currently watch on devices with a Linux or Chrome based operating system (e.g., Chromebooks). In general, it’s a good idea to test your set up before streaming the films – you can do that on Eventive’s compatibility page. We offer a support email service throughout the event.
How accessible is the event?
We aim to provide subtitles on all films shown online.
For details of venue accessibility at BFI Southbank, see their accessibility information page.
There will be a quiet space available at BFI Southbank for anyone who would like to use it. Please ask at the ICO desk for directions.
If you have any other queries about event accessibility, email us at: info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
How do I get to BFI Southbank?
BFI Southbank sits on the South Bank under Waterloo Bridge in London. For local travel information, see BFI Southbank’s website.
Can I get food and drinks at BFI Southbank?
Tea and coffee will be provided during morning registration. You will be able to purchase refreshments and lunch from the Blue Room at BFI Southbank. You can also visit BFI Southbank’s café bars, BFI Bar & Kitchen (plus its adjacent espresso bar) and BFI Riverfront, or one of the many cafés and restaurants nearby on the South Bank.
We are planning to hold a drinks reception after the final films of the day on Saturday 12 March, pending any new COVID-19 developments.
How do you select films for Screening Days?
We work closely with distributors to select independent, world and art house cinema that will be released in the following quarter. We focus on titles that are unlikely to have a vast marketing budget so need the keen curatorial eye and advance notice that a viewing at Screening Days can provide for your programme. We also occasionally include higher profile titles, particularly in the lead-up to awards season, so delegates can assess their suitability for programming.
Our goal is to provide you with the opportunity to see the widest possible range of high quality films to help you broaden and diversify the programmes in your venues.
Selected films will be contextualised with introductions and discussions on how they might best be programmed and positioned to maximise their potential for audience development.
Films will be announced on this page as they are confirmed. Full film descriptions and booking details will be circulated to registered delegates before the event in our PDF delegate pack.
Can I talk about the films I see at Screening Days?
You’ll be able to discuss films with other attendees during the event. However, due to our agreements with distributors, it’s important not to discuss the films you see at the event in online spaces (e.g. social media, blogs), even if your comments are positive and even if the film has already screened elsewhere. If you’d like to talk about the event in general on social media, though, please do! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the event hashtag #ScreeningDays.
Piracy
We take piracy very seriously. Please do not record, copy, share or stream films from our online platform, which are provided only for film exhibition professionals that meet the entry criteria. We have advanced security measures in place including forensic watermarking that will allow us to prevent and track piracy. If you are found to be in breach of these terms, we will take any and all legal measures available.
Code of Conduct
Whether on or offline, we want our events to be fun, inclusive spaces for film professionals. We expect people attending and working at them to maintain this code of conduct so that they stay that way. Harassment and bullying have no place at ICO events.
Examples of inappropriate behaviours that contravene our code of conduct include offensive comments, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, aggressive behaviour, inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention.
If someone behaves inappropriately towards you or you witness something inappropriate, please report it to a member of ICO staff or email us. Your complaint will be treated with discretion. We are happy to help and can help report inappropriate behaviour to the authorities where necessary or address the problem ourselves where more appropriate. We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who does not comply with our code of conduct. This code of conduct applies both in-person and online.
If you would like to speak to an independent organisation about an issue, the Film and TV Charity have a free and confidential 24-hour helpline available on 0800 054 00 00.
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