Aldeburgh Cinema Since it first opened in 1919, Aldeburgh Cinema has been at the heart of the local community…. showcasing new movies, old favourites and special events from around the world. The building itself dates back more than a century, but the cinema has remained up-to-date with its technical and visual presentation to ensure the best possible movie-going experience. Infused with the rich memory of decades of great movies, the spacious auditorium is fully accessible and retains many of its original features, including beautiful art deco lights. Playing a key role in the lives of generations of locals - and visitors - the cinema was privately-run for many years. As with many cinemas, times were sometimes tough and there was the threat of closure during the 1960s. To save their local landmark, a group of local people, including composer Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears, banded together to purchase the cinema and run it on behalf of the local community. Today, Aldeburgh Cinema is a registered charity, screening a diverse range of programming via its digital projection system. As well as showing the very latest Hollywood blockbusters, the cinema also frequently screens live and encore performances from the National Theatre and the Met Opera, along with arthouse productions, classics of the silver screen and fine examples of world cinema. The cinema’s impressive special events have seen the likes of Bill Nighy, Ralph Fiennes, Lenny Henry, Bill Turnbull and Anthony Horowitz take to the stage. Aldeburgh Cinema is recognised for the annual Aldeburgh Documentary Festival. Over the last quarter-century, the cinema’s annual Aldeburgh Documentary Festival
(now typically known as simply DocFest) has earned a strong reputation on the annual arts calendar, screening an outstanding array of documentaries, followed by lively question and answer sessions and debates with expert panels. Aldeburgh Cinema also has an active education programme, working with children and young people, giving them the opportunity to experience and get involved in film, with a focus on documentaries. We work with the local primary and secondary schools – so that local children have a chance to make films, as well as study and discuss them through outreach work. In addition, we have run a summer school with The Red House based on making documentary films and the cinema invites young people to come and enjoy special events and screenings. The aim is to encourage and give all children the chance to love and experience the wonderful world of film. Of course, no trip to the movies would be complete without treats. The cinema prides itself on offering a broad selection, from the essential popcorn to wines, beers and icecreams from the best local producers. For more about the cinema, visit its website at www.aldeburghcinema.co.uk where you can sign up to its weekly newsletter for the latest screening updates. The cinema can also be found across social media.
- 22 -
