A large number of independent UK film venues would be unable to reopen with social distancing measures — and many of those that could operate would only be able to survive for three months while following these protocols.
The findings come from a survey carried out by the Independent Cinema Office (ICO), which asked 497 venues — including independent cinemas, film festivals and others — about their future prospects as the country’s lockdown measures begin to ease.
The survey reported that 41 per cent of venues would be unable to operate while enforcing the necessary social distancing measures.
The UK government has suggested cinemas could reopen in July, although the ICO report claimed many venues “feel pressure from the commercial sector and the industry as a whole to open when it is not actually financially viable, practical or even safe to do so.”
For those venues that claimed they could not open with social distancing measures, 61 per cent cited a reduction in seat capacity, and the consequent lack of income, as the main reason, while 28 per cent claimed the physicality of their buildings made it impossible.
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Of those that did believe they could reopen, a majority (23 per cent) thought they would be able to do so in September. Only 13 per cent of venues thought they might realistically reopen in July, with 15 per cent naming August as the likeliest month.
A number of initiatives were suggested to help venues reopen, such as government ticket subsidies, grants for PPE and an extension of the current furlough scheme until the end of 2020.
The potential unwillingness of customers returning to cinemas during the pandemic was also identified as a major concern.
Cinemas across the country began to close in March as the UK went into lockdown. Many film releases have been pushed back, such as James Bond: No Time To Die, Mulan and A Quiet Place II.
