Film Hub Wales is awarding £100,000 of emergency funding to support Welsh cinemas in critical need during Covid-19.
With months of potential closure and uncertainty ahead as a result of the pandemic, these funds will help cinemas in urgent financial need.
To maintain vital income in the short term and keep in contact with audiences, some venues are developing online activities.
In Tywyn, the Magic Lantern will run a bilingual digital memory project to explore the cinema’s role in the community.
They are also seeking further funding to explore business survival plans for the future.
Including ideas for socially distanced events, which will be essential in order to avoid permanent closure like Cell B in Blaenau Ffestiniog’s idea of ‘Mwoo’ outdoor cinema, where audiences would social distance at a cow’s length.
Cinemas and festivals are being driven during this difficult time by dedicated people working behind the scenes, striving to bring communities back together through film.
FHW is working closely with the 16 partners to understand how Covid-19 has impacted them, so that the greatest choice of cinema can be brought back to audiences across Wales.
Hana Lewis, strategic manager of Film Hub Wales, said: “Cinemas do so much for us; they’re there when we want to escape, they bring us together and connect us to the world.
"We’ve been amazed by the capacity of cinema staff to care for their audiences, from delivering local supplies, to meeting their financial commitments.
"We wanted to take the opportunity to share their stories.
“As a result of lockdown, income from ticket sales and concessions stopped overnight, putting many independent organisations and their teams at immediate risk.
"There’s a long journey ahead and cinemas will need ongoing support. We hope that the BFI FAN resilience fund can start the journey to reopening.”
Rhys Roberts, cinema coordinator at CellB, said: “Past events at Blaenau Ffestiniog’s CellB cinema have at times rivalled the drama usually seen on our cinema screen.
"We’ve seen our community and Hollywood stars lining up to support a bright future for this most precious of our shared community assets.
“Recently, we’ve faced the surreal threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, and thanks to Film Hub Wales and BFI FAN support, we see this plucky independent cinema fighting back once more, stepping into a new and different world driven by our young creatives, who we call ‘The Quaran-teens’.
"We are ready for the next chapter in our drama.”
CellB will use the £10,050 FHW funding will support core staffing and operational costs that cannot be covered without ticket income.
With all events cancelled at the Dragon Theatre in Barmouth and plans to address flood damage postponed, the theatre’s annual insurance costs will be supported through the £2,150 FHW grant.
Commodore Cinema in Aberystwyth will use the £5,050 funds to support irrecoverable organisational costs.
Magic Lantern in Tywyn will use part of the £9,988 fund to support an online community memory project which explores the social history of the Magic Lantern and its importance to the community.
Theatr Gwaun is an independent theatre, cinema, bar and cafe run by a passionate friendly team in north Pembrokeshire.
It’s been a place for entertainment since 1885 when it was built as a temperance hall, becoming one of the first cinemas in Wales in the early 1920s.
They bring a broad range of specialised and mainstream films to all sections of their rural community. They also host Fishguard Film Society.
With income ceased and various grants on hold at Theatre Gwaun in Fishguard, the £7,050 grant from FHW will support the venue with essential maintenance and irrecoverable costs that will enable them to plan for reopening.
Their ‘The Rainbow – If You Need Us Call Us’ campaign sees their volunteers undertaking non-medical errands for those who need help and ‘The Stage is Yours’ local fund-raiser with new short film in production, will tell the story of the theatre.