OUR FAVOURITE INDEPENDENT CINEMAS
- Mathilde Candotto-Carniel
- Dec 16, 2024
- 3 min read
As summer is coming to an end we’ve compiled a list of all of our favourite cinemas across London, to offer you plenty of choices of where to hide away from the greying whether in front of an indie film, a timeless classic, or the latest release that sparked your curiosity. This guide includes spots that offer something outside the ordinary – independent cinemas, cinema bars, alternative interiors, unique programming, the list could go on… keep reading to see for yourself!
Opened in 1848, this is a cinema with a wealth of history. They're dedicated to showing the best independent and studio films and remain one of the only cinemas screening 35mm and 4k digital films.
An intimate art-house cinema screening the films that shaped the art of cinema and its history. It boats of a huge library of rare and classic films.
Small, cosy and intimate, Whirled Cinema is a world away from your everyday multiplex experience. A little off the beaten track, it's hidden away in railway arches in Loughborough Junction.
Built over 100 years ago, this East London's staple community cinema regularly collaborates with film clubs like Cine-Real exclusively playing films from original 16mm prints, and Jellied Reels, serving up screenings of the best films you've never tried. Also worth catching up at the Castle Cinema is Pitchblack Playback, some listening sessions in the dark on great sound systems for upcoming and classic albums.
The ICA Cinemas are renowned for their unrivalled programme of new independent releases. Check out their two strands, Off-Circuit introducing generation's landmark film on screen for the first time, and Celluloid Sunday presenting rare films.
An Art Deco cinema housed in the Institut Francais, Cine Lumiere is a landmark arthouse cinema known for screening French classics and new releases.
The Cinema Museum is nestled in a former workhouse/hospital with its screening room in a former chapel. A haven for cinephiles, technicians, historians, and graphic design aficionados alike.
Tucked away in the arts club in a velvet dreamland. Available for both members and non-members, this 24-seat cinema regularly hosts its partner Girl in Film for shorts and features along with Q&As with directors.
Found hidden away in the back of a shop, the 15-seater screening room is the creation of CINÉ-REAL, the only film club in the UK to play movies exclusively on celluloid. Founded by director Liam Saint-Pierre and projectionist Ümit Mesut, the club currently holds a residency at the Castle Cinema.
Opened in 2022, The Garden Cinema screens global new releases alongside curated repertory seasons. With an eclectic art deco style including a small bar, it is a truly independent cinema celebrating the art of film.
The Rio is a genuine 1930's art deco picture palace, a totally independent cinema run for and by the community showing a mixture of arthouse and mainstream films.
An arthouse cinema showing blockbuster and independent films in a renovated 19th-century building.
THE LEXI CINEMA, KENSAL RISE
London’s only social enterprise cinema, the Lexi Cinema is a volunteer-run picture palace with strong links not just to the local community, but to a unique charity project in South Africa.
