A leading UK cinema boss has issued a stark message to film directors: make shorter movies if you want them shown in cinemas. The warning comes from Clare Binns, the creative director of Picturehouse Cinemas, who has just been named the recipient of this year's prestigious Bafta award for outstanding British contribution to cinema.
The Three-Hour Problem: Scheduling Headaches and Audience Comfort
Binns voiced her concerns amid a growing trend for films with exceptionally long runtimes, a movement creating significant operational challenges for cinemas. Recent high-profile examples include Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon at 206 minutes and Brady Corbet's The Brutalist, which runs for a staggering 3 hours and 35 minutes (215 minutes).
"It means you only get one evening show," Binns explained, highlighting the substantial scheduling problems these epic lengths cause. While Picturehouse accommodates built-in intervals, extended runtimes severely limit programming flexibility.
More importantly, Binns argues that directors must prioritise audience comfort to encourage a return to the big screen. "I talk to producers about this and say: 'Tell the director you're making the film for an audience, not the directors'," she said. "I look at a lot of films and think: 'You could take 20 minutes out of that.' There's no need for films to be that long."
Surviving Crisis: From Pandemic to Streaming Wars
Binns's comments come as the cinema sector continues to navigate a turbulent period. The industry was badly hit by Covid-19 closures and the slow return of audiences, pressures later compounded by the 2023 Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes, which disrupted release schedules.
She acknowledged that during the pandemic, "everybody got used to sitting on couches and watching streaming services." However, Binns struck an optimistic note, stating cinemas are now "in a much better place" than two years ago and are actively working with streamers to bring people back.
Evidence of renewed interest, she pointed out, can be seen in repertory programming, with young audiences flocking to see classics by Hitchcock and Agnès Varda on the big screen. She also cited original stories like Anora, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme as crucial for sustainability, especially when filmmakers engage directly with audiences through Q&A sessions.
Championing Community and Confronting Consolidation
Over a four-decade career that began as an usher at the Ritzy in Brixton in 1981, Binns has built a reputation for championing diverse, independent filmmaking. She has worked with directors including Danny Boyle and Steve McQueen.
She has also led initiatives to embed cinemas within their local communities, forming partnerships with organisations like the Brixton Soup Kitchen. Binns warned that the closure of local venues, such as the Bromley Picturehouse which shut in August 2024, is "definitely something to worry about." She called for VAT reductions to help, describing local cinemas as vital community hubs that get people out of their houses.
On industry consolidation, including Netflix's potential bid for Warner Bros Discovery, Binns admitted "any studio transformation is unsettling." Yet, she remains defiant, noting that people have predicted the end of cinema many times before. "We're still standing," she asserted.
Clare Binns will receive her Bafta at the film awards ceremony on 22 February. She called the award an "incredible honour" that recognises the cultural and commercial importance of cinemas, crediting the "army of people" working to keep them alive.
