The BAFTA 2026 film awards will honour Clare Binns for her leadership in shaping UK cinema exhibition.
Picturehouse initiatives under Clare Binns transformed community-focused cinema experiences across the UK.
The Clare Binns BAFTA honour recognises four decades of sustained impact on the British film industry.
The BAFTA 2026 Film Awards will recognise one of the most influential figures in British cinema exhibition, with Clare Binns set to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award. The honour celebrates Binns' four-decade career shaping how films are exhibited, discovered, and experienced across the UK, particularly through her work with Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment.
BAFTA Clare Binns Award recognises decades of cinema leadership
According to Screen Daily, Binns’ contribution has been defined not only by commercial success but by a sustained commitment to making cinemas welcoming, inclusive, and rooted in their local communities. From alternative screenings to social outreach, her approach has consistently placed audiences at the centre of the cinema-going experience.
Binns began her career in the early 1980s as a cinema usher before progressing through roles as a projectionist and manager at London’s Ritzy Cinema. She later operated Zoo Cinemas before joining Picturehouse in 2003, where she would go on to become managing director and, more recently, creative director.
Variety noted that BAFTA described Binns as someone who has built “an exceptional reputation across the British film industry for championing diverse and fiercely independent work on big screens around the UK.” Her leadership has been marked by a rare balance between arthouse programming and mainstream appeal, allowing Picturehouse to flourish in a rapidly shifting exhibition landscape.
UK cinema community initiatives at BAFTA spotlight
A defining aspect of Binns’ legacy lies in her focus on accessibility and community engagement. Under her guidance, Picturehouse introduced relaxed screenings, parent-and-baby shows, over-sixties programmes and even dog-friendly screenings, initiatives that widened cinema’s reach beyond traditional audiences.
As reported by Screen Daily, Binns also expanded Picturehouse’s social outreach, fostering collaborations with organisations such as Brixton Soup Kitchen and Poetic Unity at The Ritzy Picturehouse. During her tenure, Refuge, the UK’s leading charity supporting victims of domestic violence, became Picturehouse’s official charity partner, with regular fundraisers and awareness campaigns embedded across the circuit.
BAFTA honours Picturehouse’s creative director for championing filmmakers
Beyond exhibition, Binns has played a significant role in championing filmmakers and festivals. She helped showcase work by directors including Danny Boyle, Steve McQueen, Francis Lee, Shola Amoo, Charlotte Regan, and Alice Winocour across UK screens.
She was also instrumental in forging Picturehouse's partnership with the Sundance Film Festival in London, before establishing its successor, Picturehouse Create. According to Variety, Binns has been "a driving force" in strengthening the UK film festival ecosystem, both in London and across regional Picturehouse venues.
Industry reaction to BAFTA special honours 2026
BAFTA Film Committee chair Emily Stillman, quoted by both Screen Daily and Variety, described Clare Binns as a “hugely talented and beloved visionary”, highlighting her lasting influence on British cinema and her commitment to diverse storytelling. Responding to the honour, Binns told Variety she was “totally blown away”, stressing that the recognition reflects the collective work of her collaborators and the shared effort to keep local cinemas alive and thriving across the UK.
BAFTA Film Awards 2026 Picturehouse legacy
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award has been presented since 1979, with past recipients including Andy Serkis, BBC Films, the National Film and Television School, Curzon, and MediCinema. Binns now joins that lineage, representing the vital role cinema exhibition plays in sustaining British film culture
Her recognition at the BAFTA 2026 Film Awards reflects a broader acknowledgment of the people who ensure films reach audiences meaningfully, long after production ends, with the ceremony set to take place on February 22, 2026.
