Fans of Phoenix East Finchley cinema fight to stop Curzon chain takeover

Unique: the Phoenix East Finchley has only one screen with a vaulted ceiling
Will Martin
Robert Dex @RobDexES24 September 2018

Film enthusiasts fear the “unique spirit” of one of London’s oldest independent picturehouses will be lost if it is taken over by cinema chain Curzon.

The Phoenix in East Finchley opened more than 100 years ago and is now run as a charity by a group of trustees.

Under the terms of a deal expected to be signed off later this year, it would be renamed the Curzon Phoenix East Finchley, adding to the chain’s portfolio of seven cinemas across London. Curzon would be responsible for marketing and programming.

A spokesman for the Save The Phoenix campaign said staff had “serious concerns” about the plan and believed “there are better alternatives for taking the cinema forward that would ensure a successful future for the Phoenix and preserve its ethos”.

Appealing to the community, they said: “With your support, this independent cinema can survive and flourish; without it, its spirit will be lost.”

The single-screen venue, which has a unique vaulted ceiling, shows only critically acclaimed arthouse cinema, with French documentary Faces Places and Pawel Pawlikowski’s black-and-white drama Cold War currently being screened.

Barnet councillor Arjun Mittra said: “There has been no information to residents that this was planned and no communication. The Phoenix is one of London’s oldest independent cinemas and it’s got a very special place in people’s hearts.”

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Trustee Alison Gold said the trust would retain the freehold of the building and maintain events including the Jewish Film Festival, mother-and-baby sessions and kids’ club screenings. She said: “We are not a public body so we don’t have to consult. Our overriding objective is to save the Phoenix and keep it going as a cinema.”

Ms Gold said increasing competition from other cinemas in the area had “hit the Phoenix’s admissions” and trustees thought the Curzon takeover the best option to keep the cinema as a going concern. The film selection would be “very similar and probably better”, she added.

Curzon, which is opening new venues in Hoxton and Kingston next year, is planning to invest in new seating and revamp the bar.

Curzon boss Philip Knatchbull said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to take on the responsibility for this iconic cinema, and we will do everything we can to ensure that the Curzon Phoenix East Finchley continues to be the focal point for film in the local community.”

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