Over 130 cinemas across the UK have entered the British Independent Film Awards’ (BIFA) Cinema of the Year award which is being supported by car brand Kia.
As part of their submission, entrants were asked to set out what makes their venue a special and important part of their local community.
An initial public vote will run from August 22nd to September 22nd after which a BIFA panel will select five nominees, taking into account the public votes and cinema submissions.
The nominees will be announced on November 3rd with the full BIFA nominations, with a further public vote from November 3rd-24th to select the winner, which will be revealed at the annual ceremony on Sunday, November 30.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy commented: “Cinemas are at the heart of so many high streets and communities across the country, and they are the lifeblood of our world-class film industry. These much-loved venues are worthy of recognition, and I am delighted that this award will provide them with that.”
The partnership with Kia will also see the return of the hugely popular BIFA Podcast.
Available weekly from August 20th, the podcast will see hosts Karis Aldridge and Joy Hunter chat to a host of stars including Will Poulter, David Jonsson, Celia Imrie, Tim Key and Stephen Merchant.
The podcast is available in on YouTube and via all the major podcast platforms.