Chichester Cinema was created by Roger Gibson (Artistic Consultant & President) at Chichester College as the ‘Chichester College Adult Education Film Society’ on the 20 September, 1979.
Films were shown on 16mm one evening a week for 24 weeks of the year. And there was a Saturday Junior Film Club. The Society grew a loyal and cult following locally.
Over the next 40-plus years, what began as a solution to the closure of Chichester’s only cinema at the time (The Granada, where New Look now sits on East Street), has blossomed into a nationally acclaimed and locally loved independent cinema.
In 1986 it moved to its current home at New Park Centre, with a state of the art auditorium that boasts over 100 very comfy seats (with the generous help at the time of Anita & Gordon Roddick) Dolby surround sound, 35mm projection, and thanks to donations from our patrons and a very kind dollop of help from Albert Finney, we were able to introduce digital projection!
Today, not only do we screen a high-quality programme of films from all over the world, but we are a registered charity committed to supporting the young; improving the wellbeing of the vulnerable; and providing fulfilling employment and volunteering opportunities – always keeping the art and enjoyment of film front and centre.
Today, Chichester Cinema, is open for 359 days of the year and presents four showings a day of films, talks and live performance events of ballet, theatre and opera.
We are a registered charity and we present an alternative to the action adventure blockbusters shown at the multiplex, presenting independent films from all over the world as well as the big annual Awards contenders.
We present an International Film Festival every summer which comprises a weekend of outdoor screenings in Priory Park and a fortnight of previews, premieres, silent and retrospective cinema and films from all over the world, many of them subtitled.
We also present a number of smaller festivals including the annual French Film Festival, A Greener Screen Festival, Jewish Film Festival and we work with many local organisations, including the Chichester Evening Art Society and Chichester’s ‘Friends of’ Ravenna, Speyer & Chartres.
Learn more about our history the CHICHESTER CINEMA timeline