James R | On 26, May 2020

Indie distributor Second Run is launching a new streaming initiative that will split rental revenue with indie cinemas that are closed during the coronavirus lockdown.

Since the outbreak of the virus, cinemas have been shut across the UK and further afield, with plans and requirements to potentially open in early summer still not decided let alone implemented. For larger venues, the aim is to open to release Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on 17th July, but an Independent Cinema Office (ICO) survey this week found that almost half of indie cinemas wouldn’t be able to run with social-distancing measures, at least without government subsidies.

While all of these issues are ironed out, UK distributor Second Run is looking to help out smaller cinemas while also reaching an online audience. The company, which specialises in the release of award-winning films from around the world, has a catalogue of more than 160 titles, including Journey to the Beginning of Time, Horse Money, Curling, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, A Blonde in Love and Blood (O Sangue).

Now, it’s bringing a selection of them to rent online to support cinemas. Each month, the company will present an evolving mix of world cinema, available at the special price of £4.99 per title in the UK and Eire. An equal share of proceeds will go to a selection of indie cinemas.

Second Run founder Mehelli Modi explains: “We felt that the answer was to first create a new VOD service, providing the option to rent our releases directly from Second Run. From each and every rental we would give an equal share from our proceeds to a selection of independent cinemas that have been forced to close. This is a contribution with our thanks to those cinemas which have to remain dark at the moment. We hope this will amount to something helpful and will reflect how important an independent cinema is to communities everywhere.”

The selected UK and Eire independent cinemas are as follows:

ACCESS CINEMA, DUBLIN
BARBICAN, LONDON
BROADWAY, NOTTINGHAM
CINÉ LUMIÈRE, LONDON
CLOSE-UP, LONDON
THE CUBE MICROPLEX, BRISTOL
DEPTFORD CINEMA, LONDON
FILMHOUSE, EDINBURGH
GENESIS, LONDON
HOME, MANCHESTER
ICA, LONDON
IRISH FILM INSTITUTE, DUBLIN
MACROBERT ARTS CENTRE, STIRLING
PALACE, BROADSTAIRS
PHOENIX, EAST FINCHLEY
QUAD, DERBY
REX, BERKHAMSTED
ROBERT BURNS CENTRE, DUMFRIES
SAVOY, PENZANCE
SHOWROOM, SHEFFIELD
TRISKEL ARTS, CORK
TYNESIDE CINEMA, NEWCASTLE
WATERMAN’S BRENTFORD
WATERSHED, BRISTOL

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