Make shorter films for sake of cinemas and audiences, says Picturehouse boss

Directors should make shorter films if they want their work screened in cinemas, the head of one of the UK’s leading cinema companies has said.

- Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent

Clare Binns, the creative director of Picturehouse Cinemas, made the comments after being named the recipient of this year’s Bafta award for outstanding British contribution to cinema.

Concern over steadily lengthening runtimes has also been voiced by film festival chiefs, who say the trend is causing substantial scheduling problems. Recent acclaimed releases to push well beyond the three-hour mark include Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (three hours, 26 minutes) and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist (three hours, 35 minutes).

“[talk to producers about this and say: ‘Tell the director you’re making the film for an audience’,” Binns said. There’s always exceptions, but [look at a lot of films and think: ‘You could take 20 minutes out of that? There’s no need for films to be that long.

“It means you only get one evening show [per screen]. I think it’s a wake-up call to directors. If they want their films in cinemas, people have to feel comfortable about what they’re committing to.”