Oban cinema wins cash for outdoor screening

The team at Oban Phoenix Cinema are ‘delighted’ to be awarded £44,266 from Screen Scotland’s Recovery Fund for Indie Cinemas, which is helping to revitalise the country’s 29 independent cinemas.

Two other local ‘indies’, The Highland Cinema in Fort William and Campbeltown Picture House, also received a share - £81,062 and £67,465 respectively.

The £3.19 million Recovery Fund for Indie Cinemas will help stabilise, rebuild and revitalise independent cinema businesses in Scotland, by supporting new activity and initiatives that help address the fundamental shifts to the industry brought about by the effects of Covid.

The Oban Phoenix Cinema manager Jennie Larney said the windfall would ‘buy mobile projection equipment that the whole community can use’, including ‘cinema garden screenings and an outdoor screening during the Winter Festival’.

‘We are also intending to do an outreach project at the Ardchattan Centre,’ she said, with screenings planned from September to April.

Sambrooke Scott, head of audience development at Screen Scotland said: ‘Scotland has a marvellously unique cohort of independent cinemas serving communities across the country, from historic purpose-built venues to arts centres and multi-screen cinemas.

‘Despite facing unprecedented challenges as we adapt to living with Covid they have continued to provide vital cultural, social and economic hubs for the towns and cities they serve.

‘This fund will ensure they are able to continue that work and make vital changes to welcome cinema-goers back, to reach new audiences and future generations to come,’ he added.

Culture secretary Angus Robertson said: ‘Local cinemas are a focal point for communities, and these funds will help them to develop new activities to re-engage with, and grow, their audiences.’

This latest funding takes the total emergency funds awarded to cinemas, from the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland, since the pandemic began in March 2020 to £8,727,829 through the Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund and the Recovery Fund for Indie Cinemas.