Side Cinema (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Address: 1-3 Side / Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3JE, UK/ United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)191 232 2208
Email: side.cinema (at) amber-online (dot) com
Contacts: Hal Branson, Graeme Rigby
www.amber-online.com
1 Screen, 52 seats
Tech: 16MM / DVD / VHS / DV / BETA SP / UMATIC
History: Amber opened Side Cinema in 1977. The seats were rescued from the Wallaw in Blyth and include rare doubles, suitable for socially-concerned snogging. Even without the romantic interest, however, it’s one of those venues people fall in love with. Different programming strands are developed in conjunction with Side Gallery, Side Café, and a range of different groups. It can be booked, either on its own, or together with the café’s beautiful upstairs room.
Organisational status: Currently a Partnership run by a Collective (Amber) but soon to be a CIC (Community Interest Company)
Editorial line: Seasons are often influenced by the territory of the documentary photography exhibitions on display in Side Gallery. We do however programme outside this, often working in collaboration with local groups, be they political or social and also with minority communities, screening films from their homeland and to make cinema more accessible to them. We never show films on date and pride ourselves on screening little known classics.
Regularity: We usually screen films twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Occasionally we put on a Sunday afternoon screening
Other stuff: We have in the past had seasons of Silent films with live scores from local musicians. Also, promoters occasionally put music events on in the Cinema space.
Publicity: Printed brochure / flyers for specific seasons / website / email bulletin / Facebook / Twitter
Audience: Average 25
Funding: Through project funding from our Regional Screen Agency (Northern Film & Media)