Leigh Film Factory celebrates four years of community cinema with special screening of Cinema Paradiso

Leigh Film Factory is marking its fourth anniversary with a special screening of the Italian classic Cinema Paradiso, celebrating four years of bringing affordable, accessible and inclusive cinema to the people of Leigh.

The volunteer-run cinema will screen Giuseppe Tornatore's much-loved 1988 film as part of a special anniversary event, with charity patron Jo Platt MP joining audiences before the screening to say a few words.

There will also be a raffle featuring prizes generously donated by local businesses, with proceeds helping support the cinema's ongoing work.

Cinema Paradiso is a particularly fitting choice for the occasion.

The film follows Salvatore, a successful film director who returns to his hometown following the death of Alfredo, the projectionist at the local cinema.

As he looks back on his childhood, he remembers the friendships, experiences and love of cinema that helped shape his life.

For Leigh Film Factory, the film reflects many of the reasons the cinema was created in the first place - a belief in the importance of the shared cinema experience and the role that a local cinema can play in bringing people together.

Leigh Film Factory was built and continues to be run by volunteers, with the aim of providing an affordable, accessible and welcoming space where everyone can enjoy quality cinema.

Over the past four years, the cinema has worked hard to make its screenings as inclusive as possible.

Its programme includes captioned screenings, relaxed and accessible events, family-friendly Pay As You Feel screenings during school holidays and other initiatives designed to help people who might otherwise find accessing cinema difficult.

The cinema also works with local organisations, businesses and community groups to bring special screenings and events to Leigh, while its volunteer team plays a vital role in keeping the venue running.

For the team behind Leigh Film Factory, accessibility isn't simply about the physical building.

It is also about making cinema affordable and creating an environment where people feel welcome, whatever their age or circumstances.

The anniversary event is therefore both a celebration of what has been achieved and an opportunity to look ahead.

Four years after opening its doors, Leigh Film Factory remains a not-for-profit community cinema, with everything it does focused on providing opportunities for local people to enjoy films together.

And Cinema Paradiso, with its affection for the people and places that make a cinema more than just a building, offers a fitting way to celebrate that journey.

Leigh Film Factory's anniversary screening of Cinema Paradiso takes place on Sunday September 6 at 2pm.

Tickets are available from www.leighfilmfactory.com, with audiences invited to join the team for an afternoon celebrating four years of community cinema in Leigh.