PUBLIC VOTING FOR THE AWARD OPENS 22 AUGUST
THE BIFA PODCAST, ALSO SUPPORTED BY KIA, TO RETURN WITH SEASON 5 LAUNCHING IN AUGUST WITH WILL POULTER
Over 130 cinemas across the country have entered into the British Independent Film Awards’ (BIFA) Cinema of the Year award, supported by Kia. Entrants were asked to detail why their venue is special and an important part of their local community in their entry. An initial vote will be open to the public from August 22 to September 22 after which a BIFA jury will then select five nominees, taking into account the public votes and cinema submissions.
The nominees will be announced on November 3 with the full BIFA nominations, with a further public vote from November 3-24selecting 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. Now in its fifth year, the new season of The BIFA Podcast, supported by Kia, boasts a host of talent from the world of film, sharing their love of cinema and how it shaped and continues to influence their lives.
Launching on Wednesday 20 August with Will Poulter and running weekly, guests including David Jonsson, Celia Imrie, Tim Key and Stephen Merchant talk about the moments that lit the spark, on-screen inspirations, favourite sticky-floored movie palaces and their most memorable projects to date with hosts Karis Aldridge and Joy Hunter and will be available in movie form on YouTube and traditional pod form wherever you find your audio podcasts.
Season 5episode one sees Son of Rambow and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 star Will Poulter talk to Karis and Joy about watching Hook on repeat, the unlikely link between cooking and acting and why he loves independent film and will be available in movie form on YouTube and traditional pod form wherever you find your audio podcasts from 6am this Wednesday.
From its first episode in 2021, The BIFA Podcast has seen a who’s who of over 50 film creatives including Harris Dickinson, Morfydd Clark, James Norton, Kate Dickie, Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtarand, Wunmi Mosaku navigate topics such as secret acting crushes, sneaking into cinemas, becoming memes and sharing Tom Hiddleston’s headphones. You can revisit BIFA’s glorious pod archive now.
Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Pocket Casts / Acast
Kia has been championing independent cinemas and their communities since 2022 and is a proud supporter of independent cinema and the screening of independent films. As well as supporting The BIFA Podcast, Kia is proud to elevate its commitment to independent cinemas by partnering with BIFA on the first Cinema of the Year award, an exciting new award where local communities can celebrate their favourite UK cinemas. Voting amongst cinemagoers opens on 22 August. Nominees will be announced on 3 November along with the rest of the nominees for BIFA2025, and the winner will be revealed at the BIFA ceremony on Sunday 30 November. More information here.
