Glasgow Film Theatre is among 30 independent cinemas and two touring operators serving communities across Scotland to receive £3.55million from the Scottish Government’s Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund and The National Lottery, through Screen Scotland.
The Fund, which aims to bridge the immediate financial gap faced by independently owned cinemas as a result of COVID-19, will now support these cinemas who can operate in the short-term, within Scottish Government guidelines, and help others towards reopening, when it is safe to do so.
Allison Gardner, CEO at Glasgow Film said: “We are really grateful to have been awarded support through this scheme. This award will significantly reduce our projected operating deficit for the year to March 2021. Ticket sales (of available seats) have been strong and feedback is very positive about compliance and the rigorous safety measures we have in place. However, new local closures and the 2m distance rule when we are open means that we can only sell 14% of our seats. There are still difficult times ahead, but GFT is in strong position as we have an incredibly loyal audience. A huge thanks goes to all our stakeholders, customers and supporters and of course most importantly our staff, who have and continue to do an amazing job during these difficult times.”
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture said: “We understand the severe impact this pandemic has had on businesses across Scotland, including our independent cinemas which play such an important role in communities across the country.
“We have had to make some really difficult decisions recently that will impact on cinemas which have worked so hard to re-open safely, but we have to put health considerations above everything else and I hope this funding, along with the business support that will be available, will help independent cinemas cope with all the challenges they face.
“Culture is vitally important to all of our lives, and we are determined to do everything within our powers to see the sector through this crisis. This fund is part of the ongoing financial support the Scottish Government is making available to the sector.”
Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: “Independent cinemas have always played a vital role in communities across Scotland, bringing people together to immerse themselves in great film experiences from filmmakers around the world, and around the corner.
“It’s been the most challenging of times for these hard-working venues but, with the help of this Scottish Government and National Lottery support, they will continue to open and operate safely as local restrictions allow. By putting stringent measures in place to protect staff and audiences alike they will open where able and bring the magic and escapism of cinema back, which is something we need now more than ever.”
Recipients of the Fund are:
| Organisation | Cinema Name | Funding Amount |
| An Lanntair | An Lanntair (Stornoway) | £44,200 |
| Caledonian Cinemas Limited | Moray Playhouse (Elgin) | £149,583 |
| Campbeltown Community Business | Campbeltown Picture House (Campbeltown) | £65,000 |
| Centre for the Moving Image | Filmhouse (Edinburgh), Belmont Filmhouse (Aberdeen) | £627,849 |
| D&G Council | Robert Burns Centre (Dumfries) | £24,896 |
| Dundee Contemporary Arts | Dundee Contemporary Arts | £143,588 |
| Eden Court Highlands | Eden Court (Inverness) | £158,814 |
| Falkirk Community Trust | Bo’ness Hippodrome (Falkirk) | £51,552 |
| G1 Group | Perth Playhouse | £128,622 |
| Glasgow Film Theatre | Glasgow Film Theatre | £415,171 |
| Granada Cinemas (Edinburgh) Ltd. | Dominion Cinema (Edinburgh) | £224,846 |
| INDY Cinema Group Ltd | INDY Cinema Group (Various) | £216,035 |
| Kino Entertainment Ltd | The Kino Leven, The Kino Glenrothes | £106,313 |
| Lonsdale Cinema | Annan Lonsdale Cinema | £43,842 |
| Macrobert | Macrobert (Stirling) | £111,244 |
| Newton Stewart Cinema | Newton Stewart Cinema (Newton Stewart) | £32,878 |
| NPH Cinema | New Picture House (St Andrews) | £87,723 |
| Oban Phoenix Cinema | Oban Phoenix Cinema (Oban) | £61,818 |
| Pavilion (Galashiels) Ltd | Pavilion (Galashiels) | £207,362 |
| Premier Leisure | Premier Leisure (Saltcoats) | £71,259 |
| Regional Screen Scotland | Screen Machine (Various) | £24,521 |
| Shetland Arts Development Agency | Mareel (Lerwick) | £40,860 |
| The Birks Cinema Trust Ltd | The Birks Cinema (Aberfeldy) | £68,500 |
| The Pickaquoy Centre Trust | The Phoenix Cinema (Kirkwall) | £21,244 |
| The Tower Digital Art Centre | The Tower Digital Arts Centre (Helensburgh) | £81,328 |
| Universal Sounds (Arbroath) Limited | Bathgate Cinema, Alloa Cinema, Arbroath Cinema | £96,875 |
| West Coast Cinemas LLP | Studio Cinema (Dunoon), Waterfront Cinema (Greenock) | £244,441 |
Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on this website and publicised through media and social media communications.
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