Glasgow Film Theatre named cinema of the year

A GLASGOW cinema has been named the best cinema in the UK at this year’s Screen Awards.

Glasgow Film Theatre has been named cinema of the year at an industry awards ceremony. Picture: Eoin Carey

Glasgow Film Theatre won Cinema of the Year at the awards, which took place in London last night.

Hosted by Scot Edith Bowman, the sixth Screen International Screen Awards recognise excellence in film distribution, exhibition, marketing, publicity and brand partnerships in the UK market.

The Cinema of the Year Award, which includes any establishment with up to 24 screens, category honours the cinema that showed solid performance with ticket sales and also engaged in new and improved ways to serve both audiences and distributors.

Glasgow Film Theatre. Picture: Eoin Carey

The judging panel included industry experts Baz Bamigboye, Edith Bowman, Sean Clarke, Christina De Rienzo, Finola Dwyer and Charles Gant.

The judges commended GFT’s “exceptional audience development to all sectors of community.”

The judges also highlighted GFT’s “exceptional audience development to all sectors of community.” As well as hosting live satellite events, in-person appearances and partaking in nationwide seasons such as the BFI’s Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder with an immersive Escape From New York treasure hunt, GFT again hosted Glasgow Film Festival, where attendance rose 7 per cent to more than 40,000 admissions. It also introduced an audience award, won by Tom Browne’s Radiator, which went on to secure a deal for UK distribution. With screenings of 663 films from 43 countries, this year admissions rose 8.3 per cent to more than 190,000.

The cinema was also praised for its “very impressive” local community engagement. Glasgow Film Theatre was recognised for its work with Scottish Autism to provide Access Film Club, which is aimed at young people and adults aged 15-plus with autism spectrum disorders.

GFT has also collaborated with Solar Bear and Film Hub Scotland on Visible Cinema, a new programme of film screenings for deaf and hard of hearing audiences.

Jaki McDougall, GFT chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to be crowned Cinema of the Year. Over the past few years, GFT has gone from strength to strength; with our third cinema screen opening in 2013, and with Glasgow Film Festival’s steady growth over the past 11 years to become the third largest film festival in the UK, we are continually seeking new ways to build upon our achievements. The redevelopment of the foyer is the next stage in GFT’s journey, a project that we hope to get underway next year.”