Planned move by one of UK’s oldest independent cinemas was opposed by thousandsOne of the UK’s oldest independent cinemas has ditched plans to hand over control to a commercial operator following a backlash from thousands of supporters, including film directors and musicians. The Phoenix cinema in East Finchley, north London, had been due to have its operations and programming taken over by the Curzon cinema group, raising the possibility the venue would lose its “unique identity and much-loved atmosphere”. On Friday, the Phoenix Cinema Trust said it had listened to what staff and others had said and had agreed with the Phoenix management not to go ahead with the Curzon partnership. The campaign group Save the Phoenix welcomed the decision, and said “a cinema run by the people for the people is an institution worth preserving”. “Phoenix cinema is a much-loved venue and longstanding trading partner.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2018 14:31 UTC