Mockingbird Cinema longlisted for UK Cinema of the Year

Mockingbird Cinema in Digbeth is in the running to be named the UK's Cinema of the Year, after being longlisted by the British Independent Film Awards.

The two-screen independent cinema at the Custard Factory is one of only 15 venues on the longlist, chosen after nearly 50,000 votes were cast by cinemagoers across the country.

"The beating heart of Digbeth"

Voters praised Mockingbird for its programme, its staff, its events and its support for local filmmakers, with one calling it "the beating heart of Digbeth".

Other comments included: "The staff are super friendly and want to talk about films", "It shows everything you want to see and things you didn't know you wanted to see" and "It has great snacks and comfy seats but doesn't charge you eye-watering prices to get them."

It was also praised for trying to make the cinema accessible to everyone, including trialling headsets for people who are hard of hearing. One voter wrote: "Great films, great staff, great local beers. What's not to like?"

A home for local filmmakers

Mockingbird shows new releases, classics, world cinema and independent films, works with Reel Brum, a networking event for local filmmakers, and hosts the Forward Film Festival.

One voter said their short film had been shown at the first Reel Brum event. "I met a lot of people that night, some of whom I have collaborated with since."

Lee Nabbs, of Mockingbird, said: "We're absolutely made up. For local filmmakers, having somewhere to show your work and meet people you can work with matters. That's why we put time into Reel Brum, Forward Film Festival and our community screenings."

"This work has grown here in Digbeth, with filmmakers and audiences coming back and bringing other people with them. Thank you to everyone who voted, and to the team who make it happen."

Beth Larby, also of Mockingbird, said: "We're a beating heart of the independent film community, a place run by filmmakers and film-lovers, born in the creative capital of Birmingham, and fighting to be a home for our local films and culture."

What happens next

The five nominees will be announced on 3 November, and the winner will be revealed at the BIFA ceremony on Sunday 6 December.

Independent cinema in Birmingham

Birmingham has a small but loyal independent cinema scene. As well as Mockingbird, it includes the Electric on Station Street, which first opened in 1909 and is one of the oldest working cinemas in the country, and the cinema at the Midlands Arts Centre in Cannon Hill Park.

Independent cinemas have faced a tough few years, with rising costs and audiences slow to return after the pandemic, but many have found loyal followings by offering events, community screenings and films that the big chains do not show. Digbeth, with its creative businesses, studios and nightlife, has become one of the city's busiest cultural districts.