- The BAFTA Special Award will be presented at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards for Clare Binns’ impact on UK cinema and the British film industry
BAFTA announces that Clare Binns, the Creative Director of Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment, and a driving force in the distribution of films in the UK, will be presented with the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards next month.
This Special Award is one of BAFTA’s highest accolades. It is presented to an individual or organisation that has made a significant and inspiring contribution to film through a particular project or work – with focus on recognising individuals or organisations who might not otherwise be eligible in BAFTA’s competitive awards’ categories.
Over the last four decades and counting, Clare has built an exceptional reputation amongst the British film industry for championing diverse and fiercely independent work on big screens around the UK. This has included showcasing filmmakers including Danny Boyle, Francis Lee, Steve McQueen, Shola Amoo, Charlotte Regan, Alice Winocour, and films including Deerskin, The Wife, Taste of Things, The Last Tree, Monster, and God’s Own Country.
Clare has spearheaded countless initiatives to bring new audiences into cinemas and put them at the heart of their local communities, such as programming relaxed, parent and baby, over sixties, and dog-friendly screenings. She has also overseen an increase in Picturehouse’s outreach, including collaborations with Brixton Soup Kitchen and Poetic Unity at The Ritzy Picturehouse. Additionally, under her leadership, Refuge, the UK’s leading charity for victims of domestic violence, became Picturehous’s charity partner, regularly holding fundraisers and raising awareness of their work.
Emily Stillman, BAFTA Chair of the Film Committee, said: “Clare Binns’ impact on the British film industry is profound – she is a hugely talented and beloved visionary. Clare’s unwavering commitment to bring a diverse range of storytelling to the big screen, her belief in the power of cinema, and her ongoing work championing emerging independent filmmakers, is inspirational. We look forward to presenting Clare with BAFTA’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award next month.”
Clare Binns, said: “I was totally blown away when I heard that I was getting this award. I’m so thrilled not just for myself but for everyone who has worked with me throughout my career and for those who continue to support the mission to welcome audiences into local cinemas across the UK, who are just getting on with the job of giving film the home it deserves.”
Clare Binns’s love of cinema and her belief in its power as a place of community, as well as her life-long passion for film, began as a cinema usher in the early 1980s. Working her way up to Projectionist and then Manager at the Ritzy cinema in London, Clare went on to operate a network of UK cinemas under Zoo Cinemas before joining Picturehouse in 2003.
Throughout her leadership roles at Picturehouse, she has deftly balanced a passion for film culture and commercial interests – showcasing blockbusters alongside arthouse films whilst boldly steering one of the UK’s leading cinema and distribution companies through an ever-changing industry landscape.
Clare has also been a driving force in bolstering the UK film festival circuit, forging a partnership with Sundance in London before establishing its successor Picturehouse Create. Outside of London, she has supported establishing several Picturehouse cinemas as key venues within local and international film festivals.
Previous Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema recipients, first awarded in 1979, include MediCinema, Andy Serkis, June Givanni, Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlson, the National Film and Television School, Curzon, Angels Costumes and BBC Films.
The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will be hosted by Alan Cumming on Sunday 22 February, and will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK as well as a host of further international broadcasters to be announced. Viewers will also be able to find all the essential action from the red carpet, ceremony and beyond across BAFTA’s socials.
Stay tuned and follow the action with #EEBAFTAs.
WATCH THE 2026 EE BAFTA FILM AWARDS ON BBC ONE AND BBC iPLAYER ON SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2026
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BAFTA’s mission as a charity is to champion the creative and cultural importance of the screen arts across film, games and television. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of talent initiatives and learning events that include masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America, BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new screen talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).
