A look back at the work of BFI FAN from 2023-26: New review and video released
The BFI Film Audience Network has released Reflections: a new review which celebrates the achievements of the network and its members over the past three years
From 2023 to 2026, BFI FAN, supported by National Lottery Good Cause funding, has brought more films to more places and more people across the UK. Over 1200 projects have been supported, leading to over 53,000 film screenings in more than 1600 unique locations and generating over 1.6 million admissions.
Reflections explores how the BFI Film Audience Network is organised through the eight Film Hubs spanning the nations and regions and how they collaborate on national projects. BFI FAN is principally driven by the passion and expertise of its member organisations, and Reflections showcases case studies from every Film Hub to show projects that have furthered the aims of the network.
Released as members gathered for BFI FAN CON in Newcastle, Reflections is a chance to reflect on what has been achieved as our work continues through this funding cycle to 2029, and beyond.
Watch the launch video and read Reflections in full to explore the stories, partnerships and achievements of BFI FAN.
Download the PDF below to read BFI FAN Reflections:
BFI FAN Reflections for the Midlands - A Quick Overview:
Film Hub Midlands Members - 265 at the point of data collection
Member Snapshot:
Derby QUAD
QUAD is Derby's Cultural Hub, providing contemporary art exhibitions, film, cinema, integrated digital media work and a range of educational and creative activities that are inspirational, innovative and inclusive. Opening in September 2008 and was born out of a partnership between Metro Cinema (1981 - The first independent outside of London) and Q Arts (1998). QUAD has welcomed over 3.5 million visitors through its doors and shown over 200 exhibitions and 4000 films.
Expanding Choice For Audiences - A Wider Choice of Films for Audiences Across the UK.
Many great initiatives have made their start in the Midlands over the last three years. This case study highlights one.
A case study: The Courtyard, Hereford
The Courtyard, a multi‑arts centre in Hereford, was supported in 2025‑26 to create a Cinema Development & Programming Coordinator role to significantly expand the range of films available to local audiences.
The BFI FAN support for this role allowed them to move beyond a programme led primarily by mainstream release patterns, creating space for independent, international, repertory, family, horror, anime and community-led screenings.
During the project period, The Courtyard programmed 91 films across 200 screenings, including five curated film seasons and 12 events through the RADIX film club. This scale of activity exceeded the original plan and helped make specialised programming a regular, visible part of the cinema offer rather than an occasional addition.
The RADIX Film Club created a regular platform to grow audience enthusiasm for arthouse and world cinema, including 35mm screenings, anime and cult titles.
Attendance rose from an average of 30 in 2024 to 40 in 2025, with early 2026 events averaging 64. RADIX Film Club became a key way to draw audience attention to specially curated events, enhanced by introductions, discussions, artist-designed promotional stickers, and targeted outreach to local creative communities.
“Radix has been instrumental in bringing an incredible array of eclectic cinema that the Herefordshire film community might not otherwise experience”
- Audience Member, The Courtyard.
The Courtyard introduced a lower-cost ticket tier for community-focused, arthouse and foreign-language screenings and retained £3 tickets for My First Film Festival, which introduces the cinema environment and a wider choice of films to families. To make the programme more accessible, it increased the availability of subtitled, relaxed and dubbed screenings. Partnerships with The Jam Factory, Arts Alive, Flicks in the Sticks, Hereford College of Arts, Open Sky and community groups extended the activity beyond the venue and helped test different audience development strategies for younger, rural, student, LGBTQIA+ and Malayalam-speaking audiences.
The results show that broader audience choice, deployed alongside a focused audience development strategy, can strengthen both cultural impact and financial sustainability. The project achieved 5,008 admissions against a target of 3,000, and a broader range of film titles became a core part of The Courtyard’s programme.
The project has left The Courtyard with greater confidence, stronger audience relationships and a clearer programming identity. Most importantly, it has demonstrated how dedicated investment in programming and audience development can broaden cinematic tastes at a local level, making independent and specialised film feel exciting, social and accessible.
We look forward to the next three years of BFI FAN 2026-2029 and all of the projects and initiatives yet to begin. Coming soon... Our successful Film Exhibition Fund projects for round two of 2026/27.