Oldest surviving cinema in Northern Ireland becomes latest Digital Film Archive partner

Oldest surviving cinema in Northern Ireland becomes latest Digital Film Archive partner

Date: 08/10/2015 13:01

The Strand cinema first opened its doors back in 1935. Now in its 80th year, this East Belfast institution has become the latest partner member of the Digital Film Archive network.

An architectural treasue, the cinema's design - including curved walls and portholed foyer - was influenced by that other local icon, the Harland & Wolff shipyard. With its striking art-deco embellishments and elegant traditional theatres, The Strand is a throwback to the glorious heyday of the Belfast cinema. It's rich history - it was the location for some of Van Morrison's earliest gigs - and involvement in the local community, promoting various cultural and educational initiatives, make it a perfect home for the Digital Film Archive.

Visitors to the Strand can access the Digital Film Archive free-of-charge and browse almost 100 hours of content spaning over a century of local and national history, society and culture.