‘The film is always the leading star here’
A popular Manchester cinema will be expanding with a big upgrade that stems beyond the auditorium(Image: CULTPLEX)
An independent cinema in Manchester has unveiled plans for a major upgrade which will see it expanded with more space, a retro gaming bar and even the city’s smallest cinema screen.
First opened in 2019, CULTPLEX – which is based near Victoria Station at Red Bank in Cheetham Hill – has served as a mecca for film fans with screenings of indie classics and cult favourites.
The Green Quarter cinema has also hosted a number of varied film festivals and events, and hosts the north’s biggest horror extravaganza STAB each year, which features a month-long calendar of screenings, Q&As and social events.
But six years on from its opening, the team behind the popular venue have decided that now is the perfect time for a revamp, which will see it expand following the relocation of the GRUB food hall, which had previously sat alongside CULTPLEX. The food hall will be heading to a new, undisclosed city centre location in the near future.
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The main screen will be given a full technical overhaul to be able to screen the latest films and host top festivals(Image: CULTPLEX)
With that in mind, CULTPLEX will expand across the former GRUB site making full use of the 10,000 sq ft warehouse. Screen 1 will receive new furniture and a full technical upgrade, which will enable it to show all the latest releases, and be equipped to host more big-name film festivals.
A new mini cinema will also be opened, which can seat 40 people. There will also be an eight-seater micro auditorium, which is boldly claimed to be the tiniest cinema in Manchester.
The expansion will mean that the venue can host more events, like film school screenings and workshops, as well as movie socials and regular events, like Dungeons & Dragons sessions and quiz shows. The venue has already confirmed it’ll be hosting live screenings of The Traitors and the Oscars in the coming months.
The Green Quarter cinema has become a mecca for film fans with screenings of indie classics and cult favourites(Image: CULTPLEX)
“CULTPLEX isn’t about sofas, gimmicks or three course meals during a film,” cinema manager Greg Walker explains. “The film is always the leading star at CULTPLEX, and all facets of our cinema are dedicated to making sure movie fans love every second. Upgrading and upscaling the cinema across two floors makes that job so much easier.”
CULTPLEX will officially reopen on October 1, just in time for the start of this year’s STAB season, which will include screenings of films like Hereditary, The Wolf Man and Nosferatu, as well as a Chucky-thon of four movies starring the creepy toy.
The film season will also include a Q&A with acclaimed director Peter Strickland, a 25th anniversary showing of Chris Morris’ JAM, a live edition of hit podcast Scarred for Life with special guest John Thomson and even a screening of the iconic Ghost Hunting With Girls Aloud.
CULTPLEX is on 50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M4 4HF.
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