The new location: 1-3 Palmerston Road, Southsea Portsmouth
Portsmouth Film Society is establishing its permanent home at the Southsea Community Cinema and Art Centre which will include a cinema, an educational centre, and display area for local artists located in the heart of Southsea. Portsmouth Film Society has submitted plans to expand its film screenings, educational and cultural events in our long sought-after Southsea location, at 1-3 Palmerston Road (old Natwest Bank Building) pending planning approval from Portsmouth City Council. The 40-capacity venue and education room will be available with a café.
Our boutique venue will be open to both the public and members and will have online ticket service available. Our trustees will help programme the cinema/theatre with the Adult and Children’s advisory groups and play a role in developing the next generation of film and arts enthusiasts with special emphasis on youth oriented activities.
Building on over twelve years of success working in cooperation with a broad range of community groups and organisations (University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire Constabulary, BFI FAN, community groups), we will continue to run film educational programs for vulnerable groups including youth groups/children, recovery groups and immigrants as we strive to help break down social barriers and by being innovative.
Working in conjunction with partners and sponsors, Portsmouth Film Society will now offer non-mainstream films several times a week. These may be complemented by guest speaker panels, quiz nights, complimentary social programs, Q&A sessions, talks and courses. These are all techniques aiming to encourage audience discussion around the issues facing the people of Portsmouth. Our audience will be our guests and we would like to share good and bad, new and old, highbrow and lowbrow, love, trash, tricky film choices and family favourites.
Portsmouth Film Society has been showing indoor films (most recently at the University of Portsmouth, King’s Theatre), outdoor and drive-in films, and pop-up films at a local church. We are everywhere and now you can join us in a boutique cinema format at the Southsea Community Cinema and Art Centre. We will update you more soon.
“For years our members have been asking for a cinema in Southsea. We are able bring it to you in a new format that meets the changing ways that people are interacting with films and other visual media. We believe that cinema can be everywhere in the communally not just in front of the TV set. The arts of moving images, digital art, even dance and theatre performance can be sharable with our audience “, says Aysegul Epengin, the Director of Portsmouth Film Society.