UK cinema operators large and small featured prominently at this year’s Screen Awards event, held at The Brewery in Central London on Thursday 20 October.
In the Cinema of the Year smaller operator category, for companies with 24 screens or under across their company, The Genesis, Mile End in London won out against stiff competition from almost a dozen other top cinema sites, with The Picture House, Uckfield picking up a ‘highly commended’ accolade.
In the Cinema of the Year larger operator tier, for companies with 25 screens or more across their company, Picturehouse Central took the prize, again triumphing over a significant number of other worthy competitors.
The full shortlists for the awards were as follows:
Smaller operator category
- Aldeburgh Cinema
- Filmhouse, Edinburgh
- The Electric Cinema, Birmingham
- Electric Cinema Portobello, London
- Genesis Cinema, Mile End, London
- HOME, Manchester
- Palace Cinema, Malton
- Phoenix Cinema, East Finchley
- Plaza Community Cinema, Liverpool
- The Picture House, Uckfield
- Regal Cinema, Theatre & Restaurant, Cornwall
- Watershed, Bristol
Larger operator category
- Cineworld, Sheffield
- Crouch End Picturehouse
- Curzon Bloomsbury
- Curzon Soho
- East Dulwich Picturehouse
- Cineworld at Empire, Leicester Square
- Everyman Esher
- Picturehouse at National Media Museum
- Picturehouse Central
- Picturehouse Cinema City, Norwich
- Showcase Cinema de Lux, Reading
Elsewhere on the evening, Showcase Cinemas picked up an award for Cinema Marketing Campaign of the Year for the promotion of the Cinema De Lux brand.
The UK Cinema Association was also delighted to present its Exhibition Achievement Award to Geoff Greaves, CEO of Merlin Cinemas. The Award was due recognition to Geoff’s contribution to the sector for over 40 years, growing his circuit since 1990 to 14 sites, including the most Northerly (Thurso) and Southerly (Penzance) cinemas in the UK.