* Lottie Griffiths, of Lottie’s Bespoke Vintage in
Llangollen, dressed as a 40s style cinema usherette
to hand out popcorn at the
launch of the New Dot
project at the town’s Pavilion.
Oscar-winning French film
The Artist will be the first movie to be shown when a new community cinema has its
premiere in Llangollen this summer.
The silent film, which
won five Academy Awards in 2011, has been chosen to kick off the ambitious venture
as it is itself about the golden age of the motion picture industry in the late
1920s.
As the launch of the
project has been timed to coincide with this year’s Llangollen Fringe, details
about it were given to people who gathered for the unveiling of the festival
programme at the Pavilion on Monday night.
Called
New Dot Cinema, Llangollen, it aims to bring together all ages in the
atmospheric setting of the Town Hall.
The
first cinema event is planned for the evening of Wednesday July 15,
when The Artist will have its screening.
The cinema scheme is
the brainchild of a Llangollen-based volunteer group who say they are keen to bring
film-going back to town.
Committee member Kirsty
Burrell said: "We're a small group who've come together to run a
not-for-profit community cinema, staffed entirely by volunteers.
"Any surplus funds
we raise will go towards putting on future shows and improving the cinematic
experience for the town.”
As well as Kirsty, the
group also includes local artist Simon Proffitt who said: "Quite a few
people had mentioned recently that they’d like somewhere to watch films in
town, so we got together and set up a community cinema.
“The night will be run
as a pop-up event in the Town Hall on Castle Street and if all goes well we’ll
continue with monthly screenings.
“We see it as a social
event where people can sit around, have a drink, eat some cake, see a live
performance and then a feature film.
“We want it to be a
really engaging, socially based community event.”
Simon added: “The Town Hall
is already a beautiful old building, and we plan to show off its character with
atmospheric lighting and decor. The original red velvet seats on the balcony
will offer a great view of the screen and cabaret-style seating."
According to Simon, the name New Dot was
inspired by the former Dorothy Cinema on Castle Street, which is now Cafe &
Books.
He said: "We wanted to respectfully
acknowledge the town's original cinema that many people have such fond memories
of.
"The old Dorothy was opened in the 1930s,
during the heyday of cinema, by the Horspool family.
"Llangollen Museum has a good display of
original film programmes and old photos from the Dorothy that has been donated
not so long ago by Fraser Horspool."
At the launch event, Llangollen’s Mayor, Cllr Bob
Lube, said: “The Town Council is fully behind the new cinema project.”
* More details will be
available on the website www.newdotcinema.org or via facebook: /newdotcinema and twitter:
@newdotcinema
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