NEWS
EVENTS
Regent Street Cinema reopens!
Other | Wednesday 6th May 2015 | Christina
The Regent Street Cinema has reopened 35 years after it was closed to the public following the completion of a three-year restoration project. All art deco features have been retained, as has the domed ceiling and the original 1936 John Compton organ, which was used to soundtrack silent films. The 16mm film projector installed in the cinema will also allow the cinema to screen footage that is rarely seen thanks to many venues only working with digital.
The cinema was the first place to show moving pictures in Britain – 40 seconds of grainy, silent footage shot by the Lumière Brothers was screened to a paying audience in 1896. In the 1900s photographer Alfred West screened his pioneering nautical films at the cinema, and it also showed many popular travelogue films. It was also the first cinema in the UK to show an X-rated film, screening La Vie Commence Demain in 1951.
The cinema’s director Shira Macleod has said it is risky to open an independent cinema but she hopes to use the independence to embrace the venue’s history. Speaking about the programming, she said, “I’d like to be able to show a lot of silent films with music and I’d like to show a lot of archive material, I’d like to show some Lumière Brothers films. I really want to support British films, I want this to be a place for British films to be released because I really feel that British films are not supported and I want to carry on doing double bills.”
So next time you fancy catching a film on a Friday night, head down to the Regent Street Cinema and experience the real deal. Visit the website for the full programme.
