UK-first cinema scheme for farmers launches in July
21st June 2025
Shropshire Independent Cinema is launching a UK-first deal that celebrates the resilient spirit of the farming community. Read more on how farmers can get free tickets to the rural-themed films and events this July.
The event, organised as a part of The Rural Remix, kicks off on the weekend between 11th and 13th July. Its organisers are inviting farmers and farm workers to enjoy the initiative ‘buy one ticket, bring a farmer’s friend for free’.
Films For Farmers will run for a year at three cinemas: Wem Cinema at Wem Town Hall, Ludlow Picture House at The Assembly Rooms, and The Old Market Hall in Shrewsbury. Audiences will enjoy a warm welcome with local beers, mocktails, and Shropshire cheeses. It is the first time British cinemas have extended such solidarity to farmers.
Jess Laurie of Ludlow Picture House, said: “Independent cinemas and small-scale farmers share a determination to survive and do things our own way.”
Alan John Gatehouse, a South Shropshire farmer who has been driving students in his tractor and trailer to buy Rural Remix tickets, added: “It’s great to have cinema events specially created for farmers. We’ve so little spare time. It makes a big difference to go out together to something that we know we’ll enjoy.”
‘Films for those who love the land’
Farmers across Shropshire and the UK are currently under pressure, and farming families report feeling culturally disconnected. 29% “hardly ever or never leave the farm for leisure”, according to Exeter University and RABI studies. SIC hope to be part of changing that with this offer.
Rose Horner, curator of Wem Cinema and a farmer’s daughter, said: “I know how farming kids can feel excluded from the arts. At the Rural Remix, we’re showing films for those who love the land, like Six Inches of Soil and Holy Cow, thrilling escapism with 28 Years Later, and the Oscar-winning animation Flow.”
Shropshire Independent Cinema (SIC) is inviting farming organisations to join the campaign. A photocall with interview opportunities will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 24th June, at the Shrewsbury Cattle Market, Bowman Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury SY4 3DR.
It will feature a cheese tasting by local makers, Appleby, and a Rural Remix trailer & tractor.
The Rural Remix is supported by the British Film Institute and Film Hub Midlands.
The event partners also include The Soil Association, Shropshire Young Farmers, and the Green Festival. A code for Young Farmers is available via their app. Other farm workers can mail for the code via cinema websites. Find more details here.
For more info contact: jess@ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk, beki.poole@shropshire.gov.uk or rose@wemtownhall.co.uk
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