Ffilm Cymru Wales backs cinemas & community spaces with latest Audience Access funding

From Bangor to Bollywood, and across generations, this year there will be something for everyone in Wales to see at their local cinema or community space.

April sees Cardiff Animation Festival return to Chapter Arts Centre following its successful debut in 2018. As well as showcasing the best international animated films with screenings, talks and workshops, this year the festival is also working with Cardiff Community Housing Association and vibrant theatre company Fio to bring special events to communities across the city.

Then in May, Age Cymru hosts the annual Gwanwyn Festival, which for the first time will feature a film programme funded by Ffilm Cymru. Taking place at Swansea’s Taliesin Arts Centre, the Gwanwyn Film Festival celebrates creativity in older age, including film screenings, discussions and workshops that celebrate diversity in all its forms.

Ffilm Cymru has also funded two pop-up cinema schemes that bring film to the heart of their local communities: Cardiff Community Housing Association’s Flix programme, which offers free film screenings to people in Tremorfa, Butetown and supported living spaces in Splott; and Upper Afan Movies Community Cinemas which brings people together to share cinema in Cymmer and Gwynfi.

Five cinemas have also received funding: Bangor’s Pontio Arts Centre will continue to provide a breadth of films for local students, families and people living with disabilities; Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda will use their funding to support more jobs in their cinema; while Aberystwyth Arts Centre will use their funding to provide more relaxed screenings for parents, babies and young people living with disabilities, as well as showing the latest Indian and Polish films for the cinema’s local communities.

Down the coast, Fishguard’s Theatr Gwaun will work with bus operators to ensure people can get to and from their cinema, while improving hospitality facilities to give a warm welcome for everyone. Finally, The Welfare in Ystradgynlais will expand their excellent work in health and wellbeing with more relaxed, accessible and dementia-friendly screenings.

This latest funding round sees a total of £137,000 of National Lottery investment from Ffilm Cymru in 2019-20 to support broader access to film for audiences across Wales. Find out more about how Ffilm Cymru’s funding helped 23 cinemas, festivals and community pop-ups reach over 319,000 people across Wales last year in our latest Annual Report.

The next application deadline for Audience Access funding is 24th May 2020. If you’re looking to offer exciting cinematic experiences to audiences in Wales, find out more here.