European Cinema Giant Vue and BFI Unite to Bring More British, International Films to U.K. Screens (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Manori Ravindran International EditorEuropean cinema giant Vue is partnering with the British Film Institute to create more exhibition opportunities for British, independent and international movies.From May, the cinema chain is set to screen a series of films curated by the BFI across all of its venues in the U.K.

The program will be called “BFI Presents” and films will screen at Vue’s 88 movie theaters across the country.Vue and the BFI have a special connection given the exhibition chain’s CEO and founder Tim Richards was appointed chairman of the film org in February 2021.

However, the Canadian executive tells Variety that discussions for such an initiative were underway well before the pandemic, and that his desire to bring more independent fare to Vue cinemas “predates [his] chairmanship.” “We know there’s a market for independent, foreign and British films,” Richards tells Variety. “We want to try and get those films out to our customers.

This is our belief that it exists. I look at this a little bit like a curated film service for our customers, where the BFI with the experience they have will actually look at the smaller films and look at what’s [appropriate for Vue].”Richards admits “there’s a perception that big operators don’t play anything but mainstream films — but that’s not the case.”“This is going a step beyond where we’ve been in the past and going into a more curated [arena], and really using a world-class org like the BFI to program films on our screen,” he added.There will be no added cost for selected movies to exhibit at Vue, Variety confirmed.The films will range from newly released and award-winning British and international film through to hidden gems and restored classics.