Wimbledon’s hmvcurzon boutique cinema turns one this week.
By Melanie Kramers
Wimbledon’s hmvcurzon boutique cinema turns one this week with a series of special screenings and free tickets.
The arthouse cinema, located above the shop on 23, The Broadway, was the first of its kind opened by the specialist film brand and the DVD retailer, in an alliance to reach customers sharing the same passion for film.
Joanne Taylor, Curzon Cinema’s Membership and Marketing Executive, said the Wimbledon cinema had gone from strength to strength this year and the reaction from the local community was very positive.
“We like to think we offer a different experience for our customers – we want to bring you closer to the film,” she said.
“The hmvcurzon brand is about a lot more than just seeing the film and coming straight out afterwards. We have a range of special events – and things like being able to take a glass of wine into the cinema help to enhance the viewing experience.”
Links with Wimbledon Film Club, Wimbledon School of Art, The Best of Wimbledon and Merton and the Naughty Mummys group have also helped reach out to people.
The retro-feel cinema is very different from the big multiplexes, with a diverse selection of independent and mainstream films, regular Q&A sessions with directors, plush seats and screenings handwritten on blackboards.
“Our initial challenge was getting people to believe a cinema existed on the 2nd floor, the ‘Tardis’ effect as it were, but we’ve found that once people have visited they will come back again,” Ms Taylor explained.
The challenge now is to build on the first year’s success and make hmvcurzon Wimbledon the number-one choice for the community, she said.
When the cinema opened in October 2009, Philip Knatchbull, Chief Executive of Curzon Artificial Eye, said: “Because of digital technology, we don’t need a box-office and we don’t need a projection room.
“We want to broaden out the reach we have to a wider base of customers. Obviously, tapping into that whole HMV customer base where they sell 50million-odd DVDs a year is an opportunity for us.”
During the 16-24 October birthday week some free tickets are available for all screenings – see www.hmvcurzon.com for more information.
