Mumbai: More than 50 independent cinemas across the UK have benefited from a £475,000 injection of Lottery cash from the UK Film Council to help upgrade facilities and enhance the cinema-going experience for audiences.

The funds will be used to improve a range of facilities, with money being spent on building refurbishment, lighting and seating, new projection, sound, and digital equipment. A significant number of the awards will go towards improving access for people with sensory impairments, via the purchase of cinema access equipment such as audio description and subtitling kits.

In total, 56 independent cinemas from Bournemouth to Glasgow have received grants from the UK Film Council’s Capital and Access Fund for cinemas, ranging from £510 to £35,000.  A full list of cinemas awarded Lottery funding follows.

UK Film council distribution and exhibition head Peter Buckingham said, "Independent cinemas often represent the cultural core of local communities, and we hope these funds will make it possible for cinema-goers to enjoy film in a more comfortable environment."

"In many cases these grants will improve access for audiences who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired, allowing them more opportunities to enjoy the exciting choice of film on offer," he added.

This latest funding initiative builds on previous funding from the UK Film Council, which, through its Small Capital Fund, allocated more than £700,000 to independent cinemas for capital projects and made £350,000 available for subtitling and audio-description equipment through its Cinema Access Programme.