Plymouth Arts Cinema to reopen as part of Plymouth Art Weekender with ‘This Is Us,’ a new manifesto for independent cinema

Plymouth Arts Cinema is set to welcome its audience back to the big screen from Saturday 26th September.

The opening weekend is part of the annual citywide art festival, Plymouth Art Weekender, following months of closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The date marks the opening of many of Plymouth’s cultural venues.

As the leading independent cinema in the city, Plymouth Arts Cinema is launching its opening programme ‘This Is Us’ as a manifesto for what cinema can do. Cinema is one of the most easily accessible artforms.

It allows windows into other worlds and new perspectives on a world we think we are familiar with. A truly independent cinema should show films which comfort us, challenge us, delight and surprise us.

The main film programme will commence on Tuesday 29th September.

Catch up on the feel-good factor with Military Wives, see latest hard hitting French drama Les Miserables (2019) and discover contemporary African cinema in Talking About Trees.

Director and Film Programmer Anna Navas said: “While we have been away we have had plenty of time to reflect on what we do and how we do it. The creative conversation we have with our community of volunteers, audience and fellow film partners is something we want to embed in our programme.”

The opening weekend includes a selection of films which have been co-curated by one of PAC’s volunteers, Josh Puleston and Plymouth Samaritans.

The cinema is also celebrating the incredible filmmaking talent of the South West and have joined forces with D&C Film to screen the finalists of a virtual Film Festival that took place during lockdown.

Community is important to this long-established Plymouth organization, and following a successful Crowdfunder campaign the team at the cinema are pleased to be able to offer free cinema trips for key workers who kept the city running during lockdown.

The ticket ballot can be entered here: https://plymouthartscentre.org/key-worker-tickets/

Plymouth Arts Cinema has taken steps to ensure everyone stays safe while enjoying their visit. Please go to www.plymouthartscentre.org/reopening for regularly updated information.

After fighting to survive without income from tickets, the organization welcomes donations from its supporters: https://plymouthartscentre.org/support-us/donations/ To see the full programme and book online, please visit plymouthartscentre.org/whats-on.