Curtain closes on Monico Movies

Everyone connected with Rhiwbina Info was very sad to hear our community cinema Monico Movies is closing after 10 years.

It's been around almost as long as we have, although my personal highlights are from more recent years:

• The screening of the short film Annalium 8: Sssss, which I co-produced. What an honour to be able to introduce it to the audience and to open the programme for another (slightly bigger) North Cardiff film, The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain.

• Buster Keaton's silent feature The General with live piano accompaniment.

• And seeing the original Planet of the Apes (something of an obsession for me for many years) on the big screen again.

  
  

The Monico Movies story started in 2015, when a group of local movie enthusiasts were invited by filmmakers Viv and Harley Jones to discuss the idea of opening a community cinema.

Andy Weltch (right) discusses the making of local short film 'Annalium 8: Sssss' with Garry Edmiston-Taylor at Monico Movies

Rhiwbina Community Cinema – a not for profit, volunteer-led cinema – was born. It was named Monico Movies as a tribute to the local cinema ‘The Monico’ which was loved by generations of locals until it closed in 2003.

Monico Movies hosted its first screening, The Grand Budapest Hotel, in October 2015 at Canolfan Beulah. Since then, shows have been held on the second Saturday of each month.

They've shown more than 200 films to an audience of up to 80 people each time - everyone welcomed with a sweet on their chair and the option to buy a bargain-priced Cornetto in the interval!

Films have ranged from timeless classics to recent releases, from little known foreign-language gems to forgotten masterpieces.

Hats off to the volunteers who have made it happen – Harley and Vivienne Jones, Garry Edmiston-Taylor, Janice Lane, Sue Harding, Justin McCarthy, and Lynne Schofield; and former volunteers - Meurig Williams, Jen Jones, and Andrew Melvin.

The final Monico Movies show will take place Saturday 12 July, when the Welsh-made film Mr Burton, about the early life of actor Richard Burton, will be screened.

Thank you, and good night, Monico Movies.