By Isaac Arif

Only a short bus journey away from UEA, in Norwich’s city centre, is the beautiful Cinema City. This quaint 3-screen cinema is the place where film has thrived for decades. Now owned by Picturehouse, Cinema City has maintained its historic passion for film, Norwich and bringing people together. Whether you want to see the latest arthouse film, catch a classic you’ve waited too long to watch, take your dog along to that blockbuster everyone is raving about (yes, they hold dog-friendly screenings!), enjoy a coffee and study session in their cafe, or take up a screenwriting class in The Sir John Hurt Centre, Cinema City has something for you.

My own love for this cinema started in early 2020, only a month before lockdown. I was lucky enough to see The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers) on screen 2, which was amazing, of course. But more importantly, discovering the plush seats, the buzz of excitement lacking at multiplexes and the charm of the building converted me into a loyal Cinema City goer, now getting anyone that will tag along to visit or going by myself a few times a month. In various seats across their screens, I’ve had the pleasure of watching new favourites, laughing, crying, and finding a deeper appreciation for film.

I feel very lucky to say that below is an interview between myself and Jenny Alison, the marketing manager at Cinema City. We had a chat about the cinema’s work, what they can offer to you as students, and how they immerse themselves in the local community.

What does independent film and the highlighting of world cinema mean to Cinema City?

“It’s important to us to have a breadth of programming that reflects the Cinema City ethos and the city’s population. Norwich is a diverse multicultural city, which is becoming more so because of the student intake. Therefore, we are trying to make our programming more inclusive to reflect that diversity. Plus, this is a way for locals to experience different cultures, languages, and countries that they might not have visited before. And, especially now, it’s more important than ever for us to empathise with other people, see how others live, and appreciate that just because someone looks different or speaks differently to us, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have shared experiences.”

How does Cinema City bring together film lovers and the wider Norwich community?

“We do that through community engagement projects with organisations such as Knowledge NoW, Norwich Pride, Leeway Domestic Violence & Abuse Services, and lots of other cultural organisations. That’s our way of embedding ourselves and becoming vital to the Norwich community. So it’s much more than film. We also combine film screenings with talks or hold drinks receptions, so we combine lots of different elements to ensure we are very much at the heart of the community.

We’ve also been hosting more film festivals over the last few years, as they have been growing slowly each year, which is fantastic. This building has only been known as Cinema City since 1978, but before that, there were films exhibited here. The Colman sisters, when they donated it to the city in 1925, did it for the express purpose of enriching the people of the city through films and other events. So it is really important for us to carry that legacy on; it is for the community, and it is about education, film and cultural enrichment.”

What can Cinema City offer to students? Why should they visit?

“We’ve got so much going on at the moment, so starting off with the student membership. It’s £20.00 for a full year, which includes 2 free tickets and so that in itself, you know you’re already getting it cheaper. So even if you were to come only that once, you know you’re saving money, and you get 25% off food and drinks all throughout the year. We also have a scheme called Under 25, which is for anyone aged 16 to 25. It’s free to sign up, giving you tickets for only £4.99 Monday to Thursday. On top of that, anyone can access our cafe bar, which has free Wi-Fi, and lots of people can sit with their laptops or sit and chat. It’s starting to become a cultural hub where people meet, so it’s fantastic for that.”

Looking back over recent years at Cinema City, what is a stand-out event or screening?

“I’ve been here for 10 years, so there are many, but the one thing that really stands out was when the National Theatre Fleabag event was taking place. It was live on all three sold-out screens. We had a gin bar set up in the courtyard and pictures of Guinea pigs all over, which was a lovely vibe. It was an amazing night because there were so many people that were excited and lots of new faces, which often adds to the buzz, because they’re seeing the building for the first time.”

As it is brilliantly put by Jenny Alison, Cinema City’s rich history, brilliant programming, and student discounts make it worth visiting during your time at UEA. It is a bucket list essential for cinephiles and casual cinemagoers alike.

Upcoming releases: September-October 

New Releases

The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)

Release date: 20th September

The Outrun (dir. Nora Fingscheidt)

Release date: 27th September

Megalopolis (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

Release date: 27th September

Re-Releases

The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-12, Christopher Nolan)

Release date: 21st September

Shaun of the Dead (2004, Edgar Wright)

Release date: 28th September

Showing at Odeon

10 Things I Hate About You (1999, Gil Junger)

Release date: 4th October

Showing at Cinema City

Paddington & Paddington 2 (2014-17, Paul King)

Release date: 11th October

Showing at Cinema City

Credit: Kelvin Johnston