THE Pyramid is to be transformed into a cinema for a season of classic and contemporary film.

It will be the first time there has been a big screen experience in Warrington town centre since the old Odeon closed in 1994.

The initiative has been funded by the British Film Institute's (BFI) Film Hub North West Central to attract new audiences to experience specialist film and it will see five screenings between November and March.

James Goodison, arts development officer at Culture Warrington, is leading the project.

He said: "I’ve been working at the Pyramid for eight years now and this is the first time we’ve been able to programme a series of films like this thanks to funding from the BFI.

"It’s a perfect venue to screen films and it’s been so long since we had a cinema in the town centre.

"The nearest cinema is the Odeon in Westbrook, almost three miles outside of the town centre.

"It will be a unique experience here as the Pyramid isn’t a cinema in the traditional sense of the word but it offers a contemporary art house feel."

One of the screenings, on March 13 next year, is Shane Meadows' Made of Stone which is about the Stone Roses reunion. A large section of the documentary was filmed at Parr Hall where the band staged their first gig in 16 years.

"I was working that event at Parr Hall so it will be great to see the scenes that were filmed in Warrington," added James, from Great Sankey.

A lot of the films will be themed as well.

So for example The Man Who Fell To Earth, starring David Bowie, will be on the big screen on November 21 to tie in with the BFI's sci-fi season, Days of Fear and Wonder.

Classic Christmas film, It's A Wonderful Life, will be screened on December 19 and couples can enjoy an alternative Valentine's night out on February 13 with 1960 French film Breathless, about a criminal who tries to persuade a girl to hide in Italy with him.

James, who studied film and media at the university campus at Padgate, said: "Although more and more people are watching films on demand at home I still think the experience of watching a film on the big screen will never die or ever be beaten.

"There’s a great buzz about being part of an audience experiencing something on the big screen.

"People also chat and discuss the films afterwards so it feels like a privilege to have been witness to an exclusive one-off screening.

"I remember watching Paranormal Activity at the cinema and it wouldn’t have been half as scary and entertaining if it wasn’t for the rest of the packed audience – myself included – screaming and jumping out of our seats!

"There really is a magic to watching a film at the cinema."

- Tickets for each screening are £5 including a drink which will match the theme of the film where possible. They are available at the Pyramid box office or online nearer the time

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The Pyramid screenings

November 21
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)
Director: Nicholas Roeg
An extra-terrestrial crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. Featuring David Bowie in his debut screen role, the film develops into a powerful love story.

December 19
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) 
Director: Frank Capra
The Christmas classic follows James Stewart's business man, who is shown what life would be like if he was never born.

January 16
Boyhood (2014) 
Director: Richard Linklater
A coming-of-age drama following a boy as he grows from a child to an adult.
Astonishingly, the movie was filmed with the same cast over 12 years.

February 13
Breathless (À bout de Souffle) (1960)
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
One of the most influential films of the French New Wave, Breathless is the debut directorial film from acclaimed film director, Jean-Luc Godard. 
A young car thief kills a policeman and tries to persuade a girl to hide in Italy with him.

March 13
Made of Stone (2013) 
Director: Shane Meadows
This acclaimed documentary follows The Stone Roses after they reformed in 2012 after 16 years apart.


Sally Folkard, Film Hub North West Central manager, said: "We are proud to be supporting this pilot project of screenings at the Pyramid centre in collaboration with Culture Warrington. 
"The overall aim of the Hub is to ensure that audiences can access a diverse range of film across the region and this project brings the best of specialised and independent cinema to Warrington."