Clare Binns Biography
Clare Binns
Programming Director
City Screen
In March 2003 Clare joined City Screen Ltd, Britain's largest circuit of independent art-house and community cinemas, as the Head of the Contract Programming Department. Clare has worked in the industry for 30 years now, and brings with her experience and expertise that such a career can offer. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of film and cinema, Clare is well known and respected throughout the industry and has excellent working relationships with distributors, critics, producers and directors.
By joining City Screen Clare brought the cinemas owned and programmed by the former Zoo Cinemas, of which she was Managing Director, to the City Screen circuit.
City Screen owns and runs 18 cinemas, and has programming contracts with 25 others, in which the company has involvement with at various levels.
The group’s newest cinema, the Greenwich Picturehouse, opened in September 2005. City Screen is also looking forward to re-opening Cinema City in Norwich, as a three screen venue in its original site developed from a church hall in 2007.
Clare is now City Screen’s Programming Director and is responsible for the overall programming policies and of maximising revenue through cinema admissions across the City Screen circuit.
Clare has booked and run some of the most successful cinemas in the country, including the Cameo in Edinburgh. Among the 10 cinemas that Clare currently programmes are all the Cuzon Cinemas, the Ritzy in Brixton, the Electric on Portobello Road, the Gate in Notting Hill and the Everyman in Hampstead.
Clare is also a board member of Film London and a member of the Industry Liaison Committee for the London Film Festival.
“There's not much point buying U.K. rights to a specialized movie if Clare Binns doesn't like it. She's the sole booker for most of The U.K.'s key arthouses, across the City Screen and Curzon circuits, and she's no soft touch.”
Variety May 2006