Phoenix rises from the ashes

After four months and £250,000 of refurbishment, Finchley's Phoenix Cinema is ready to re-open at the end of this month.

An official gala in April will celebrate the re-opening of one of London's most famous movie houses, with a special preview of Hugh Grant's new movie About A Boy and appearances from patron Maureen Lipman and special guest Sean Hughes.

Lottery funding has meant that the cinema, which was first opened in 1910, has managed to remain independent despite the domination of multiplex chains. It came into its own in 1975 as a showcase cinema for Contemporary?s groundbreaking distribution of foreign and specialist films. Now run by a trust, it is a community art house cinema which offers an in-cinema and in-school education programme for children and adults, film festivals, live presentations and discussions.

The Phoenix will re-open with French World War I drama The Officers? Ward, followed by Michael Winterbottom?s 24 Hour Party People (5 April) and the groundbreaking animation Waking Life (19 April) before the official gala.