Home Romney Marsh News Article
Cinemarsh cinema at Marsh Academy in New Romney takes shape
10:45, 08 February 2020
updated: 11:12, 08 February 2020
These new pictures show how a state-of-the-art cinema destined for Kent is taking shape.
The final touches are being made to Cinemarsh on Romney Marsh - with an opening date now only months away.
Based at the Marsh Academy's leisure centre in New Romney, work started on the new movie theatre last year - five years after the initial idea for the project came about.
The 46-seat auditorium is now complete, with the sound and projection systems having been installed by Sound Associates, one of the top digital cinema installers in the UK.
Work on the new foyer and toilets is expected to be finished by the end of March.
Now the team behind the project say the cinema should open by April - in time to show the latest James Bond, No Time to Die.
Leisure centre manager Jason Mahoney said: "Commercially we want to open by the middle of April.
"James Bond comes out on April 3, and we'll be getting films two weeks after their main releases, so maybe April 16.
"We're in the process of signing contracts with distributors at the moment."
Although cost of tickets are yet to be confirmed, Mr Mahoney says the team have "done their research" and are aiming to be the cheapest cinema within 25-30 miles.
Snacks will be available from the foyer, again at reasonable prices.
He added: "A lot of the project has been publicly funded and we want it to be affordable.
"It will be a community cinema. We want people to support us and in turn we're not looking to rip people off."
It is planned, at first, that there will be a day time and evening performance on week days, and then four showings on a Saturday and three on a Sunday.
"It depends how demand goes," Mr Mahoney said. "But it looks like it will work out really well.
"The quality is brilliant, it will be similar to the Curzon in Canterbury, maybe better.
"We've had a trial run and it is brilliant.
"We've had people who know their stuff walk away after seeing it fired up and say 'wow'."
The centre is now looking to recruit paid staff and volunteers.
When opened it be the only cinema located on Romney Marsh.
At the moment film fans have to travel to either Folkestone or Ashford to catch a blockbuster, or to the Kino in Rye, east Sussex - all around 30 minutes from New Romney by car.
The project has been made possible due to several grants from Magnox, The Garfield Weston Foundation Weston Anniversary Fund, LEADER, The Foyle Foundation and the combined funding of The Overstone Fund and Kent Reliance Provident Society Fund through the Kent Community Foundation, and has been supported by groups such as The Coastal Community Team and The Romney Marsh Partnership.
