Cinema launches crowdfunding push for second screen as film industry recovers from Covid-19
Movie and culture fans from across the country are being urged to back a campaign launched to get a second screen for a community cinema and venue in Birmingham..
Staff at the Mockingbird Cinema have kick-started a crowdfunding initiative as the region’s film industry emerges from the Covid pandemic.
Announcing a campaign to raise £20,000, the cinema, a 98-seat film hub, located in Digbeth’s The Custard Factory, is seeking the support of movie fans to back film-making in the Midlands.
In return for donations to the project, supporters will receive rewards such as private screenings for family and friends, thank you message credits and adverts shown before films watched by thousands of film-goers, alongside wine and cinema ticket goody bags.
The fully independently-run venue plans to increase screening capacity and event space to offer more choice for Birmingham’s blossoming screen industries in line with unprecedented growth and development in the city’s creative quarter, a move supported by film professionals across the region.
Since opening in 2015, the cinema has hosted hundreds of independent and blockbuster film showings, regional and national premieres, including for BBC television productions, live editing workshops and movie marathons, including back-to-back Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings presentations, outdoor film offerings, and even dog-friendly screenings.
Lee Nabbs, programmer and director at The Mockingbird, said: “The cinema industry has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past few years and the challenges to ensure the survival of one of the few truly independent cinemas in central Birmingham have been immense.
“Our remit has always been to serve the needs of Birmingham film-makers and film lovers and provide a platform for films that are outside the mainstream or promoting diversity. "We are striving to make the space better for community use and to create more availability and opportunity for the next generation of film-makers in the city.
“Moving forward with a second screen model allows us to fulfil this vision, meet challenges of a rapidly changing industry, ensure that independent cinema continues to thrive in the city-region, and welcome even more movie fans during what is set to be an incredible year for Digbeth and Birmingham.
“We hope in launching this crowdfunder campaign we will gain the support from the community enabling us to continue to provide for them long into the future.”
The plans for expansion and growth come at a crucial time for the Digbeth area, which is currently seeing major construction for new infrastructure, including numerous residential developments, the extension of the Midlands Metro line along Deritend, and the construction of the HS2 terminus at Curzon Street.
