Phoenix Cinema
An independent, charity-run single-screen community cinema in East Finchley, London, known for arthouse programming and its historic listed building.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Phoenix Cinema is an independent single-screen cinema in East Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet. The venue was constructed in 1910 and opened to the public in May 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome. It is among the oldest purpose-built cinemas in the United Kingdom that have continued to operate as cinemas, and its long survival has depended on a combination of local support, independent programming and charitable ownership. The building began life during the early expansion of purpose-built cinemas following the Cinematograph Act 1909, legislation that introduced safety requirements for film venues. Premier Electric Theatres built the premises, but entered bankruptcy before opening. Businessmen associated with the East Sheen Picturedrome subsequently acquired the building and launched it with 428 seats. The first programme reportedly included a film concerning the recently sunk Titanic. The building's sloping site was used to create naturally raked seating. The cinema changed its name to the Coliseum in 1924. During the silent-film era it presented films with live musical accompaniment and also hosted variety entertainment. In July 1929 it became the first cinema in the local area to show a sound film, screening Al Jolson's The Singing Fool as the industry moved from silent projection to talking pictures. A major reconstruction in 1937–38 converted the venue into an Art Deco cinema and it reopened as the Rex in September 1938. Architects and designers modernised the facade, auditorium and technical facilities while retaining the original barrel-vaulted ceiling. The auditorium was reversed, seating was increased to 528, and new projection, sound, heating and ventilation systems were installed. Unlike nearby national circuits, the Rex continued to compile its own programmes. It used a flexible schedule that combined feature films, supporting films, newsreels, short subjects and, at times, older or previously overlooked releases. The cinema was acquired by the Granada Group in 1973, after which its programming shifted toward conventional commercial circuit releases. Local opposition argued that this change weakened the venue's distinctive role. A campaign led by the East Finchley Neighbourhood Association helped secure a change of ownership and a return to more independent programming. In 1975, after acquisition by the distribution company Contemporary Films, the venue adopted the name Phoenix Cinema and developed its continuing emphasis on independent, foreign-language, specialist and arthouse films. The cinema's future became uncertain in the early 1980s when Contemporary Films considered it economically unviable. A proposal was made to replace the site with an office development. Residents, campaigners and public figures opposed the plan. The Greater London Council offered financial support to enable a trust to acquire the property, and the building and adjoining land were purchased by the Phoenix Cinema Trust in December 1985. Charitable ownership has since allowed the cinema to combine film exhibition with education and community services. The Phoenix has invested in restoration and adaptation while retaining its historic character. In 1989 the upper foyer was enlarged and the auditorium entrance was altered. A centenary renovation completed in 2010 introduced a café-bar and balcony, renewed the foyer and external signage, and restored the barrel-vaulted ceiling and Art Deco wall panels. English Heritage recognition led to Grade II listed status in 2000, protecting the building's important early-cinema and 1930s design features. Today the Phoenix presents a broad programme centred on independent, international, specialist and repertory cinema, alongside selected mainstream releases and community events. Its charitable programme includes children's activities, parent-and-baby screenings, film education, school sessions, holiday workshops, charity screenings and dementia-friendly events. The venue is also a popular filming location, appearing in feature films, television programmes, music videos, fashion work and cultural exhibitions. Its public identity rests on historic continuity, local stewardship, distinctive architecture and access to films that may not receive extensive exhibition elsewhere.
History
Phoenix Cinema was built in 1910 by Premier Electric Theatres during the first wave of purpose-built cinema construction prompted by the Cinematograph Act 1909. The original developer failed before the building opened, so businessmen connected with the East Sheen Picturedrome acquired it. It opened in May 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome with 428 seats. Its sloping site allowed the auditorium to use naturally rising seating, with the screen positioned at the High Road end. The venue was renamed the Coliseum in 1924. In its early years it showed silent films accompanied by live music and supplemented film programmes with singers, comedians, magicians and other variety performers. As sound cinema spread through Britain, the venue adopted the new technology. On 22 July 1929 it presented The Singing Fool, making it the first cinema in the surrounding area to show a sound film. In 1937 the cinema was substantially remodelled and reopened as the Rex in September 1938. The redesign responded to competition from much larger chain cinemas in North London. Mollo and Egan reworked the auditorium in an Art Deco idiom, retaining the 1910 barrel-vaulted ceiling but adding decorative wall panels. The auditorium was reversed, the floor was altered to improve sightlines, and capacity rose to 528. The facade was modernised by Howes and Jackman with black glazed tiles, cream plasterwork, a broad canopy and a prominent neon Rex sign. New projection and sound equipment, a projection box, heating and ventilation systems also brought the cinema into line with contemporary safety and technical expectations. The Rex remained independent in its programming, assembling its own schedules rather than following the release plans of vertically integrated chains. Its programmes could include a major and supporting feature, a short film and a newsreel. British productions were often favoured, while older or previously circulated titles allowed local audiences to revisit popular films. Granada acquired the cinema in 1973 and moved it toward commercial circuit programming. Admissions subsequently weakened, prompting criticism from the East Finchley Neighbourhood Association and helping produce a change in ownership and policy. Contemporary Films purchased the venue in 1975 and renamed it the Phoenix Cinema. Under this ownership the cinema concentrated on independent, foreign and specialist films. By 1983, however, the owners considered the operation economically difficult and a property developer sought permission to replace the cinema with offices. Local residents mounted a sustained preservation campaign, supported by public figures including Maureen Lipman. Planning decisions and a subsequent public inquiry left the cinema at risk until the Greater London Council offered a grant to assist a trust purchase. The Phoenix Cinema Trust completed the acquisition of the building and adjoining land in December 1985, securing the venue's charitable and community-oriented future. The trust initially faced limited funds, outdated heating and carbon-arc projection equipment, as well as the practical challenge of maintaining a competitive independent programme. It enlarged the upper foyer in 1989. A major centenary project in 2010, designed by HMDW Architects, added a café-bar and balcony, renewed the foyer and exterior signage, and restored the auditorium's ceiling and Art Deco panels. The building received Grade II listed status in 2000 after English Heritage identified its architectural and historical importance. The Phoenix now combines film exhibition with community and educational work. Its activities include children's clubs, toddler sessions, parent-and-baby screenings, film studies, school visits, workshops, charity events and dementia-friendly screenings. The cinema's distinctive historic interior and neon signage have also made it a recurring location for films, television, music videos, photography and exhibitions. In 2024, patrons Ken Loach and Mike Leigh resigned over the venue's hosting of the Seret Film Festival, creating a public controversy around cultural programming and political association.
- 2024
Patron resignations over festival programming
[1]Ken Loach and Mike Leigh resigned as patrons in opposition to the cinema's hosting of the Seret Film Festival.
- 2010
Centenary restoration
[1]The venue restored historic interior elements and added a café-bar, balcony, improved foyer and renewed exterior signage.
- 2000
Grade II listing
[1]The building received heritage protection for its early cinema fabric and important Art Deco features.
- 1989
Upper foyer enlarged
[1]The trust improved circulation by repositioning the stairs and creating a new entrance to the auditorium.
- 1985
Phoenix Cinema Trust completes purchase
[1]A preservation campaign and public grant support enabled the trust to acquire the cinema and adjoining land.
- 1975
Adopts the Phoenix Cinema name
[1]Contemporary Films acquired the venue and reoriented it toward independent, international and specialist cinema.
- 1973
Granada acquisition
[1]Granada acquired the Rex and shifted its programming toward commercial circuit releases.
- 1938
Reopens as the Rex after Art Deco reconstruction
[1]A major redesign modernised the facade, auditorium and technical systems while preserving the original barrel-vaulted ceiling.
- 1929
Local transition to sound cinema
[1]The cinema screened The Singing Fool on 22 July, becoming the first venue in the local area to show a sound film.
- 1924
Renamed the Coliseum
[1]The venue adopted the Coliseum name and continued presenting silent films, live music and variety entertainment.
Products and positioning
A historic, independent and community-focused London cinema combining arthouse and international programming with charitable education and inclusion initiatives. Its restored early-cinema and Art Deco setting is a central part of the brand experience.
Film exhibition · 1975
Independent and arthouse cinema
The Phoenix's core offer is a curated programme of independent, arthouse, international and specialist films. Its independent operating model allows it to present films outside the standard schedules of major cinema chains and to serve audiences seeking culturally distinctive or less widely distributed work.
Community services
Community cinema programmes
The charitable trust supplements regular screenings with accessible programmes for families, parents, older audiences and local organisations. These include Kids Club, Toddler Time, Bringing up Baby, Cinememories, charity screenings and school-oriented events.
Education
Film education
Educational activity includes film studies, school screenings, holiday workshops and related events. These initiatives extend the cinema's role beyond exhibition by introducing children, students and community groups to film culture and media literacy.
Hospitality · 2010
Café-bar
The café-bar and balcony introduced during the 2010 centenary renovation provide an additional social and hospitality space within the historic venue, supporting the cinema's community identity and visitor experience.
Controversies
2024
Patron resignations linked to Seret Film Festival
Ken Loach and Mike Leigh resigned as patrons in protest at the Phoenix hosting the Seret Film Festival during the Gaza war. The dispute concerned the festival's reported association with Israeli state sponsorship and placed the cinema's cultural programming under public scrutiny.
Marketing campaigns
- 1983Save the Phoenix cinema campaign
East Finchley · London
Residents and local campaigners opposed plans to replace the cinema with an office block after its then-owner considered the venue no longer economically viable. The East Finchley Neighbourhood Association and public supporters helped make preservation a prominent local issue.
Outcome. The cinema was ultimately purchased by the Phoenix Cinema Trust in December 1985 and continued operating as a community cinema.
Brand decisions
2010
Centenary restoration and visitor upgradeOtherBackground
The cinema needed to preserve its historic fabric while improving visitor facilities for contemporary audiences.
Action taken
HMDW Architects led works that restored the ceiling and Art Deco panels, refurbished the foyer and signage, and created a café-bar and balcony.
Aftermath
The project reinforced the Phoenix's combination of heritage presentation, community use and modern cinema hospitality.
1985
Transfer to charitable trust ownershipStrategyBackground
A proposed office development threatened the cinema after its owner considered the operation economically unsustainable.
Action taken
The Phoenix Cinema Trust acquired the building and adjoining land with support from a preservation campaign and a grant from the Greater London Council.
Aftermath
The trust secured the cinema as a community institution and expanded its educational, charitable and inclusive activities.
1975
Shift to independent and specialist programmingStrategyBackground
Following a period of Granada ownership and more conventional circuit programming, local opposition sought to restore the venue's independent character.
Action taken
Contemporary Films acquired the cinema, renamed it Phoenix Cinema and focused its programme on independent, foreign and specialist films.
Aftermath
This programming identity became central to the cinema's modern brand and later community-trust operation.
1937
Art Deco reconstructionGeneration changeBackground
The cinema faced competition from larger chain-operated picture palaces being built around North London.
Action taken
The auditorium and facade were redesigned, technical systems were modernised, seating was increased to 528 and the venue reopened as the Rex in 1938.
Aftermath
The refurbishment improved the cinema's contemporary presentation while preserving the original barrel-vaulted ceiling that later became a key heritage feature.
1929
Adoption of sound-film exhibitionProduct launchBackground
The spread of talking pictures required cinemas to replace or supplement silent-film projection and live accompaniment with sound equipment.
Action taken
The cinema screened The Singing Fool on 22 July 1929, becoming the first cinema in the local area to present a sound film.
Aftermath
The venue joined the industry's transition to sound cinema and continued operating through subsequent changes in film technology.
Recent events
- 2010
Phoenix Cinema completes centenary renovation[1]
Other
A renovation by HMDW Architects renewed the foyer, signage and auditorium while adding a café-bar and balcony and restoring significant historic decoration.
- 2000
Phoenix Cinema receives Grade II listed status[1]
Regulation
The cinema was listed in recognition of its early purpose-built cinema structure, original barrel-vaulted ceiling and surviving 1930s Art Deco interior features.
- 1985
Phoenix Cinema Trust acquires East Finchley cinema site[1]
Other
After a proposed office development threatened the cinema, a public campaign and grant support enabled the Phoenix Cinema Trust to purchase the building and adjoining land.
Sources2 sources
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