FAN supported BFI Musicals in autumn 2019. This was a nationwide cinema season celebrating the spectacle and craft of Musicals on film. This major season was led by BFI, Independent Cinema Office and Film Audience Network (FAN). 

FAN member cinemas could access screening support to present films, mini seasons or events as part of the season. With screening support, they received help to fund their own independent programming and events plus support to do wrap around activity related to the seasons core titles.

For exhibitors who wanted to include Captioned Subtitles on their screenings, Sweet Charity was bookable from the ICO touring programme. Tommy and Singin’ in the Rain was available from the BFI.

Exhibitors who wanted to run a Dementia-Friendly screening, could take a look at our downloads section. Screenings are adapted to make the environment more suitable for people living with dementia. You can find more about running dementia-friendly screenings here. Dementia-friendly screenings are also sometimes called Relaxed Screenings, though these can also be suitable for people with multi sensory sensitivities or different conditions such as autism or learning disabilities.

Exhibitors who were interested in running a relaxed screening, could find out more in our quick tips for running relaxed screenings. There is also some transferable advice in our autism-friendly screenings guide, though bear in mind much of this advice is specific to people living with autism, not necessarily those who are Learning Disabled. Ideally, consult with Learning Disabled groups in your area for advice and expertise.

With Learning Disability week coming up in June, now is the time to support learning disabled representation in the film industry as well as consider access to cinema for neurodivergent audiences.

In 2019, FAN New Releases supported Signature’s title The Peanut Butter Falcon, a modern Mark Twain-esque adventure starring Shia LaBeouf (American Honey, Fury) as a small-time outlaw turned unlikely coach who joins forces with Zack Gottsagen‘s Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome on the run from a nursing home with the dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Dakota Johnson (Suspiria, Fifty Shades of Grey) stars as Zak’s loving, but stubborn, carer. 

This feel-good film features a Learning Disabled actor in a leading role, where his disability is not the main element of the story. It’s a tale of friendship and adventure, and will appeal to fans of wrestling, good storytelling, and/or road movies.

You can now watch The Peanut Butter Falcon on BFI Player.

Bookings for Community Cinema screenings can be made from Cinema For All.

You can also watch the film My Feral Heart on BFI Player. A drama in which Luke (Steven Brandon), a young man with Down’s syndrome who prizes his independence, is forced into a care home after the death of his mother. There he rails against the restrictions imposed on him, but his frustrations are allayed by his budding friendships with his care-worker Eve (Shana Swash) and a mysterious feral girl (Pixie Le Knot).

If you’re interested to run a relaxed screening, to help bring in Learning Disabled audiences to your cinema, find out more in our quick tips for running relaxed screenings. You may also find some transferable advice in our autism-friendly screenings guide, though bear in mind much of this advice is specific to people living with autism, not necessarily those who are Learning Disabled. Ideally, consult with Learning Disabled groups in your area for advice and expertise.

Neurodiversity Celebration week was founded by neurodiversity advocate Siena Castellon. According to the Department of Education, 15% of students in the United Kingdom have a learning difference such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia.

This week aims to acknowledge and celebrate the many positive aspects of being neurodiverse and create a more positive perception about what it means to be neurodiverse and to change the educational landscape so that SEN students have positive school experiences. Find out more information on how to get involved here.

Celebrating unique perspectives and the value that comes from different outlooks, Neurodiversity Celebration Week encourages people to recognise the benefits that come with autism and neurodiverse perspectives. Cinemas across the country offer relaxed environment or autism-friendly screenings, with adaptations to make the space more comfortable and accessible for autistic people to enjoy film as individuals or with their families.

Organisations such as the UK Cinema Association, Dimensions, National Autistic Society and FAN have worked with cinemas to support them in welcoming autistic audiences. You can find listings for some cinemas which host Relaxed and/or Autism-Friendly Screenings here and on event listings on the Accessible Screenings website.

UK venues

Greenock | Fun Film Club at the Waterfront

Dunoon |  Autism Friendly screenings at Studio Cinema

London |  Relaxed Screenings at BFI Southbank  

Leeds |  Relaxed Screenings at Hyde Park Picture House

Glasgow |  Take 2 Access at Glasgow Film Theatre  

Glasgow |  Access Film Club at Glasgow Film Theatre 

Belfast, Glengormley & Coleraine |  Autism friendly screenings at Movie House Cinemas 

Stockton |  Relaxed performances and screenings at ARC  

Dundee |  Relaxed Screenings at DCA

Worthing | Autism Friendly screenings at Worthing Theatres  

Neath |  Relaxed Screenings at Gwyn Hall     

Walsall, Dudley, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester & Coventry | Autism Friendly Screenings at Showcase Cinemas  

Saffron Walden |  Relaxed Screenings at Saffron Screen        

London |  Relaxed Screenings at Barbican      

Hebden Bridge |  Autism Friendly (Relaxed) Screenings at Hebden Bridge Picture House

Birmingham |  Relaxed events and screenings at Mac  

Canterbury | Accessible film screenings at Gulbenkian    

Chester | Relaxed Screenings at Storyhouse

Merlin Cinemas |  Penzance, Redruth, Falmouth, Torquay, Ilfracombe, Okehampton, Coleford, Cromer, Kingsbridge, Prestatyn  |  Autism friendly screenings at Merlin Cinemas