It was a proud moment for all of us at Cineworld as Clare Binns was honoured at last night’s BAFTAs. Creative Director at Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment, Clare Binns received the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award.
One of our own, Binns has been working at Picturehouse since 2003 and received the award for her “countless initiatives [that] have brought new audiences into films and put the cinema itself at the heart of many local communities.”
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Presented the award by Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgård, Clare Binns took the opportunity to push the importance of independent voices in cinema.
“Film is a business. Art and commerce will always intersect. But what we need, above all, is unselfish vision. Vision which isn’t guided by straight commerce; vision which nurtures independent voices, individuality, and diversity of story telling.”
During her speech, Clare Binns also made a joke at the expense of filmmakers and their project’s runtimes, noting “I’ve been told to keep this [speech] short, which is advice I’d like to extend to filmmakers.”
Starting out as an usher at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton, Binns ended her speech noting the room’s shared passion for film and the community it continues to bring together. You can watch her full speech below.
"Vive la cinema!"
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 22, 2026
Clare Binns accepts the #EEBAFTAs Special Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema ✨ pic.twitter.com/wwXhc6f9UQ
Other highlights of the night included underdog Robert Aramayo beating Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor in his performance in I Swear.
Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her role in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, while Paddington Bear made an appearance to present the award for Best Children’s and Family Film. And, naturally, he got marmalade all over it.
Hamnet also received the award for Best British Film, while One Battle After Another took home Best Film.
KPop Demon Hunters’ stars EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI also slayed with a performance of “Golden”.
Catch the nominees and winners on the big screen as many return as apart of our Awards Film Season.
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