Wellington cinema open for business
It has taken thousands of volunteer hours, lots of hard work and more than a little patience, but after three decades Wellington finally has its own cinema again.
The Orbit in Station Road rose from the ashes of the much-loved Clifton, planned and brought to fruition by the same people who worked tirelessly to bring the latter back for the people of Wellington.
On Saturday the first filmgoers were given a chance to visit the new cinema, and bosses said it was an exciting end to months of effort.
But the hard work doesn't end there. The Orbit's cafe has already proven to be a success, and there are a number of ideas in the works to make sure the cinema follows suit.
Sophie Eades, chief officer of the Orbit, said the future was looking bright.
"I can't stop smiling," she said. "A lot of hours went into the launch on Saturday.
"There are so many people who remember their first dates or taking their children to the Clifton. There are a lot of memories around cinema and Wellington.
"Now here we are with a fully functioning, gorgeous little cinema. We've got a cafe with locally sourced food. We hope the people of Wellington will enjoy what they see."
Staff at The Orbit are already coming up with ideas to help them differentiate themselves from some of the big chain cinemas.
They hope that they can bring back cinema as an experience, rather than just "nipping to see a film".
"What we're doing is a very different thing," Sophie said. "It's immersive screening – more than just a seat and a film.
"We're planning a Bollywood screening, which would entail people coming in to Indian music, eating Indian food, people dressing in saris and then watching a Bollywood film. Because we've got the kitchen and cafe, we can tie it all in. We're also planning a Polish evening.
"We're planning to do those immersive screenings five or six times a year."
There will also be a focus on screenings for children on a Saturday morning, and on bringing together people who might otherwise be lonely.
Sophie said Wednesday morning screenings would be available with a cup of tea or cake, and that she hoped people would return time and time again. This could lead to friendships developing and people leaving their houses more.
"We want to break down those barriers," she said.
"We're also looking at bringing back Saturday morning films for children. Every Saturday we'll be showing a film at 10.30am, and parents can sit in the cafe and meet new friends, or have time with hubby or wife, while their child is watching a nice film. We're also looking at dementia friendly screenings, as well as screenings with learning disabilities."
The next stage of development will see a more art-focussed community built within The Orbit.
"We've got a first and second floor in the building and we're looking to develop that when we can get the funds for various arts spaces," Sophie said. "There will be a dance studio, painting and making and we're looking to put on courses for people.
"We're also looking to provide a space for events. Hopefully musicians on the upper floor. Just the whole gamet of arts really.
"We have so much planned for the future."
For now though, Sophie is happy that the cinema is finally up and running, and that there are a lot of happy faces coming out of each screening.
"It is phenomenal that we have shown our first film," she said.
