All change on the South Bank

Dave Calhoun sneaks a peek at the new National Film Theatre.

Feb 21 2007

One could be forgiven for assuming that the National Film Theatre on the South Bank has lately been employing the same builders who have been constructing the new Wembley Stadium. When plans were first unveiled early last year to transform the space at the back of the NFT once occupied by the Museum of the Moving Image, there was hope that the renovated wing – complete with new screening spaces, gallery, bar, restaurant and foyer – would open in time for the 50th London Film Festival last October. When that date proved optimistic, January was mooted. Finally, last week, Time Out took an exclusive hard-hat tour of the near-complete renovations that will join forces with the existing NFT and open to the public on March 14 under the cryptic new name of BFI Southbank.

The change of name is already ruffling feathers, with both regular attendees of the NFT and BFI employees expressing bemusement at the ditching of the word 'film'. Dissenters argue that the tag 'BFI Southbank' – note the trendy elision! – assumes wrongly that film-goers know who or what the 'BFI' is. They have a point: as a branding exercise, it's hardly inclusive. The main worry is that a desire to stamp the BFI's identity all over the new venue will be at the expense of attracting new film-goers who may not know that the concrete building under Waterloo Bridge is a cinema. However, Eddie Berg, the artistic director of BFI Southbank, is adamant that the venue speaks for itself. 'People are now very open to changes of name,' he argues. 'In 12 months' time, we won't be talking about the name, but whether we've done all the things we're aiming at. The most important thing is whether it's any good.'

First impressions from last week's tour are very positive. In addition to the existing three NFT screens (which, perhaps confusingly, will retain the names NFT 1, 2 and 3), there are several new spaces, all of which will be reached via an entrance at the side of the National Theatre. Most welcome is the Mediatheque: a room where 14 viewing-stations will give individual visitors free access to selected programmes from the BFI National Archive. The Mediatheque has been programmed by BFI curator Robin Baker and will present themed seasons as well as an ever-growing permanent archive of digitised material that can be accessed for free by anyone who walks into the building. Two of the opening seasons are 'Essentially British' – including work such as an 1899 film of Stonehenge and an episode of 'Little Britain' – and 'London Calling' – which will include rare early footage of the capital. 'The focus in the Mediatheque will be less on film history and auteurs and much more on stimulating debate,' explains Baker, who hopes that younger visitors will be attracted by the space.

There's also the Studio: a free-standing box cinema in the foyer area that will host special screenings, events and talks, many of which will be free. And there's the Gallery: a space that opens with an exhibition by the Canadian artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, whose work takes inspiration from cinema, and will later in the year show work by Faisal Abdu'Allah and Patrick Keiller. 'The idea is to show that film and moving-image have life beyond the auditorium,' says Michael Connor, head of exhibitions. There's also a new ticket desk, bar, restaurant and a much-needed shop.

It's all very impressive: the changes should give new life to a venue that's long been in need of a rethink. 'If I were an estate-agent,' says Berg, 'I'd say that the NFT was tired, but had all sorts of possibilities.' Audiences for some seasons – such as the recent Buñuel retrospective – have not been impressive and so Berg and his colleagues hope to increase the number of visitors. 'We want at least to double our audiences in a year.'

The biggest gamble is whether an increased number of visitors to the building – many of whom will take advantage of new facilities that are free – will translate into more bums-on-seats in the paying cinemas. These are an important source of revenue for the BFI, which is increasingly struggling to survive on its £16.5 million annual grant from the UK Film Council. The hope is that the Studio, the Mediatheque and the Gallery will encourage new audiences to explore the film seasons in the cinemas – which will continue to offer comprehensive director and themed seasons of a breadth and depth unavailable elsewhere. Major seasons coming up include Terence Davies, Roberto Rossellini, Shane Meadows and Julie Christie.

'All these changes should strengthen the film programme by giving them more context,' Berg insists. 'None of this is about diminishing our commitment to film.'

The NFT becomes BFI Southbank on March 14.

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