Supporting a Full Time Cinema in Lochaber

Why a Cinema?
Since the closure of former Studio Cinema, Cameron Square in 2005, There has been no full time cinema facility in Fort William. This proposal has been brought forward to provide a community facility which will contribute to the local tourism offer, giving local residents a facility that encourages social interaction, the regeneration of Fort William high street and job creation.

Tourism Need
A cinema would be the expectation of tourists visiting the outdoor capital of the uk - particularly as a wet weather entertainment facility.

Community Need
Without a full time, cinema screening new movie releases serving Lochaber, the local residents currently need to travel to Oban 40 miles away or to Inverness 70 miles away. A cinema facilty is also likely to generate added value to local restaurants and food outlets both before and after movie screenings.

Business Need
Average attendances achieving 90 per showing would ensure a return on capital within 3.5 years.

Evidence
The Cinema industry has continued to grow with UK Cinema admissions have risen from 2006 to 2015 by 15.3 million.

How will it work?

• It is proposed the fees and charges are kept low to ensure that the local residents will be able to afford to visit our cinema on a regular basis. Competing with inverness and oban will be vital to keep the local population from travelling out with the area to see new movie releases.
• Marketing of the cinema will comprise of advertising outside the venue and also advertising in the local press. We will also use social media and our own website and app on android and apple so that local residents and tourists can easily pre book cinema tickets.
• The business plan is based upon 2 screenings per day, 7 days a week, year around with an average of 90 per screening (60 in studio 1 and 30 in studio 2).
• Films will be hired for public showing though our cinema programmer, with a split of the gross income of approx. 60%/40% with the larger being retained by LCG.
• Many of the overheads of the wee lochaber cinema will be fixed costs and such as this proposal maximises the use of the properties as an asset.