About — The Nickel

THE NICKEL will be home to the most subversive, bewildering, sensational, fearless, sublime, shocking, transgressive, death-defying, psychedelic, psychotronic, bizarre, rebellious, baffling, degenerate cinematic treasures - from the silent era to the digital age.

The name is derived from the early Nickelodeon movie theatres. Whereas The Odeon caters for the multiplex crowd, THE NICKEL is the beating heart of alternative cinema.

THE NICKEL will become a bastion for analog screenings - giving audiences the increasingly rare experience of seeing rare and historic 16mm film prints projected, alongside VHS and digital.

Each evening of programming will be carefully curated - with films chosen to spotlight a director, a forgotten genre or a unique theme. There will be accompanying introductory reels for each film, rare shorts, cartoons and vintage commercials that compliment the main feature. Special screenings will be supplemented by introductions, essays and panel conversations.

In an age of streaming services, THE NICKEL will feel like a time machine back to the best theatre or video shop in town, a place where you can be exposed to cinematic treasures you wouldn’t or couldn’t otherwise see.

Meanwhile, THE FOYER BAR AND SHOP will become the go-to resource for vinyl soundtracks, film literature, lobby cards, original screenplays, movie memorabilia, physical media and merch - as well as an atmospheric listening bar and community space.

We are committed to inclusively supporting and platforming cinephiles, and will host writing groups, acting workshops, script read-throughs and film festivals. THE NICKEL is also launching a zine and a podcast with contributions from our community.

Follow our Instagram @thenickelcinema for upcoming pop-up screenings at various locations across London, and email us to collaborate.