Film buff brings community cinema back to town

A film fan wants to restore cinema screenings to a town following the closure of a national chain in the area.

Will Preston, 28, is organising a community cinema event at Corn Market Hall in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

About 75 people are expected to attend a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on 30 October.

Preston said: "We'd like to do [a screening] every month. We're moving around Kettering to all different places to try to keep it accessible and get as many people to enjoy the cinema experience as possible."

The Odeon in Kettering closed in January 2025 following what the building's owner, Augur Group, described as a "significant drop" in attendance over the past five years, making the venue "no longer viable".

Preston said he had fond memories of visiting the cinema with his parents and grandparents.

"It was a big part of the town and of who I am as a person," he said.

He began planning the community cinema in summer 2025 after a social media post attracted strong interest.

The response prompted him and his partner to research the equipment, licences and insurance needed to run screenings.

"We're going to keep it all as cheap as possible for people," he said.

"We're going to have tickets as cheap as possible, the snacks and stuff as cheap as possible, just to make it accessible."

In 2024, more than 2,000 people signed a petition to pledge their support for the Kettering Odeon and prevent its closure.

The cinema opened in 1997 with the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and its final screening was the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown.

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.