The cinema system is broken, and nobody is doing anything to stop it!
Just 15 years ago, a new cinema revolution seemed to erupt. Almost overnight, cinema became trendy again. Long-dormant cinemas reopened, old retail spaces transformed into trendy new venues, and after a 30-year lull, it seemed like everyone was going to the cinema again. Screens got cheaper, concessions more expensive, but the overall experience evolved. 3D was en vogue once more, IMAX exploded in popularity, and niche venues began offering restaurant experiences to accompany your film.
Complementing this technological shift, independent filmmaking flourished. Films were made with readily available equipment and funding that would have been unimaginable 20 years prior. It seemed everyone was becoming a filmmaker. Now, it's common to know someone who is making or has been in a film, even if we don't realise it.
The studios responded as they always do – they saw an opportunity to make money and exploited both the public and the independent filmmaker. They made it nearly impossible for cinemas to profit from ticket sales, forcing them to drive prices up. Filmmakers were given the opportunity to showcase their work to a mass audience, but received paltry royalties from streaming platforms, while those operators made millions from their hard work.
Suddenly, filmmakers had no hope of turning their investment into cash. Unique, local venues closed overnight. Even blockbuster cinema chains felt the pinch, with many selling up, sometimes even before their newly invested-in cinemas opened.
We're back where we started. Cinemas show the same content, battling over prices to survive because their business models have become outdated. Filmmakers have poured their hearts into their life's work, with nowhere to show it, and the platforms that do showcase it offer meagre returns.
Local cinemas have gone dark. The assumption is that landlords are greedy, but in most cases, this isn't true. Studios have made their prices so exorbitant that cinemas have no room to enhance their offerings. Hundreds of cinemas struggle with dirty screens, neglected facilities, and limited film choices, just to make a tiny profit. Meanwhile, companies in our communities have been hit by continual government changes that force local authorities to increase business rates and council tax to cover the spiralling costs of social care and national debt. And we blame the internet, even though in 2012, that same internet drove people back into cinemas and revitalised the high street.
Enter The Romford Film Trust, a new arts charity about to launch Lumiere, a mixed entertainment venue in Romford.
On 16th August 2024, a much-loved cinema in Romford, Premiere Cinemas, closed its doors. The public was saddened, but many commented on the venue's poor condition. Social media was awash with complaints about the toilets, dirty screens, faulty sound systems, and a lack of safety in uncontrolled spaces. Many also commented on the lack of film diversity, forcing them to leave town for a wider selection. Some of 2022-2024's biggest Oscar and BAFTA winners never screened in Romford, deemed not profitable enough. But what if profit wasn't the primary motive? With subsidised business rates, a generous landlord, and community support, there's a real chance of creating a truly outstanding venue.
On 3rd March, Lumiere Romford will open in the former Premiere space. Initially, it will look much the same, but with your help, we can transform it. With community support, we can attract the attention of major arts funders and create something special.
Our plan is to create a mixed arts venue, anchored by a four-screen cinema showing all the major releases each week, with carefully planned screenings to ensure no new releases are missed. Three additional screens will offer the best independent movies, film seasons (including classic cinema), arthouse, and niche films usually only found in central London. The eighth screen will become a multi-use space for parties, cabaret, art exhibitions, relaxation, business hire, product launches, film wrap parties, community groups, and even a regular Monday night film quiz.
Lumiere will be a place for unique experiences. You can join the film quiz on Mondays, learn about film on Tuesdays, watch films on Wednesdays, enjoy live acts like stand-up comedy or jazz on Thursdays, attend film premieres on Fridays, watch classic cinema on Saturdays, and learn Tai Chi in the morning, participate in crafts in the afternoon, and relax in the bar with friends at night on Sundays. Lumiere will be a place to fill time meaningfully, form friendships, and enjoy a safe and welcoming space. We'll even have quiet spaces for business meetings, where you can enjoy barista coffee while working effectively.
How will we achieve this?
We'll introduce a membership model, allowing customers to enjoy the former Premiere cinema's price point and save money on every transaction. Members will join a co-operative, where each year, profits (after staff, product, and overhead costs) will be returned to them as Lumiere Credits, which can be spent on films, products, or even next year's membership.
Non-members are welcome, with tickets priced at £6.99. Members pay just £4, with a 10% discount on concessions and up to 25% off events. A family of four will pay £18, or £14 if one family member is a member.
Membership fees will go towards improving the facilities.
To achieve our dreams, we need to raise £750,000. This would create a state-of-the-art venue comparable to those in central London. However, we don't need this amount to reopen, only to improve. We have a three-year plan to raise the full amount. While we initially seek public investment, our long-term goal is to secure funding, with ongoing membership fees maintaining the perfected space. Right now, we need to raise £100,000 to make a significant difference upon opening.
Where will the £750,000 go?
- Some projection equipment and sound systems need replacing.
- The projection screens in the auditoriums are dirty and require replacement.
- The 34-year-old curtains in every screen need replacing due to dirt and stains.
- The toilets need a complete overhaul, including ceiling-to-floor cubicles for those with public toilet anxiety, and a Changing Places toilet.
- We aim to install a lift to improve accessibility.
- The lobby needs reconfiguring to optimise space.
- Screen 6 will be converted into an events space.
- Screens 3, 4, and 5 will have their seating replaced with armchairs and sofas.
- The upstairs will be renovated to create studios, meeting spaces, classrooms, and ad hoc facilities.
- Doors to all screens need replacing. And we'd like to put door openers on them for disabled users.
- The air conditioning system requires a complete overhaul.
- Signage needs replacing, and a new colour scheme will be introduced.
- A new till system to manage an incredibly complex series of tasks needs to be installed, to show our members where the money comes from and where it goes in a yearly AGM.
- Finally, we want to change the building's frontage to allow entry only to members and ticket holders.
It's a lot to ask, but our Crowdfunder is designed to give back to everyone who contributes. We believe in reciprocity, and everyone, including major funders, will receive something in return. The offers we have on this Crowdfunder are one time only, while similar offers may exist from the day we open, they either won’t include free tickets, or will cost more.
What's more:
- All our staff will be film experts, many with film degrees, creating film seasons based on their passions. They'll provide honest reviews to inform your viewing choices.
- We'll introduce a security presence, return ushers to screens, and maintain impeccable toilet and screen cleanliness. Membership fees, rather than ticket prices, will cover the venue's wear and tear.
- We have a network of filmmakers who will run low-cost courses on filmmaking.
- We'll bring back the Saturday morning pictures experience, with two versions: one for kids and one for adults nostalgic for the original experience.
- We'll have a coffee shop and bar, with plans for a kitchen in 2026.
- We'll be environmentally conscious, with a strong emphasis on recycling.
- We'll offer the most diverse range of films outside of central London.
- Filmmakers will have a guaranteed affordable venue where they can have their premiere, or cast and crew screening
- Every Thursday at 10 am, 11 am, and 12 pm, screenings will be free to the over-60s, members or not. During winter, we'll offer them a free cup of tea or coffee, with free filtered water available year-round.
- We'll offer activities for the youth around film and art, with CRB checked experts.
- We'll strive to provide independent filmmakers all the support they need, screening there films out of festival season, splitting revenue with them and reporting admittances to ComScore.
- We'll open opportunities for artists of all kinds and create spaces for them to meet, network, show their work and support one another.
We believe our goals are achievable. The system needs to change, and we've already received £40,000 in promised investment.
How do we know we can do it?
Because we already do it, we are the creators of Romford Film Festival and Romford Horror Festival which between them draw over 6000 people into Romford from across the UK and the world each year. And to help bolster our already successful festival presence, we’ll be launching a brand new festival in addition to becoming home to 9 already existing film festivals, 8 of which currently do not operate in Romford.