The gorgeous Sheffield Showroom
Amazingly, there are still some people in Sheffield who don’t know about the Showroom. Located near the train station in the lovely art deco building which once belonged to Kennings, the cinema and its café bar have been drawing people in for many years now. But… it just got a whole lot better!
Its new creative director, Bill Lawrence, is reaching out to new audiences with initiatives like “Early Doors” for the over 55s on Thursday mornings. Unlike the big cinema chains, the Showroom will be offering new films and a variety of genres. As Bill says, your tastes in cinema don’t change just because you reach retirement age. Last week’s opener The Duchess, partly filmed near here at Chatsworth, was a huge success, and this will be followed by some bold choices, including the French film I’ve Loved You So Long, Mamet’s Redbelt and the award winning Gomorrah.
Late shows on Fridays will feature such favourites as Barbarella and Withnail And I, and a new strand at the Showroom will be “Celluloid Screams”, showcasing the best in cult films, classic and contemporary horror.
October sees the start of the festival season in Sheffield, beginning with “Off the Shelf”, our splendid book and reading festival, and the newly created “Reduction Film Festival” for environmental films. Then I’m looking forward to Doc/Fest in November, the U.K.’s premier documentary festival, established now for 15 years, which we will be covering here at Eye for Film.
I think the best thing about independent cinema is the feeling of being among people who love film. I recently came out of a showing of Somers Town and while I was at the bar ordering my drink there was a guy about to go into the next screening, asking the barman what he knew about it. I said “I’ve just seen it”. We then had one of those great conversations which just never happen in the multiplex. I happened to be with a friend that evening, but the Showroom is somewhere you can just go on your own, no matter what age you are, and you will always end up meeting someone who shares your interests.
I’ve only mentioned a few of the things on offer at the Showroom. Those who know it love it most for its friendly, intimate atmosphere. So if you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. But don’t all rush at once, because they might run out of cake!
