Press

The Hyde Park Picture House is a nationally connected, locally focused, community cinema; providing audiences with an inclusive space to explore and discover.

Beginning its life in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, the cinema gained popularity by screening patriotic dramas and newsreels to boost morale during the conflict. The Picture House survived the advent of ‘talkies’ in the 1920s and continues to screen the best films from around the world, alongside special events, and delivers inspiring projects for the communities of Leeds.

Today, the cinema continued to attract devoted visitors, and counts some famous faces amongst its fans, including filmmakers Francis Lee (Gods Own Country, Ammonite), Ben Wheatley (A Field in England, High Rise), Alice Lowe (Prevenge), Hollywood actor Chris Pine (Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons), and broadcaster and film critic Mark Kermode.

In 2014, following the cinema’s centenary, the Picture House commissioned a feasibility study to explore ways the cinema’s accessibility and sustainability could be improved. This study formed the basis of an successful application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, who after a two-year development period, confirmed a £2.3million grant for The Picture House Project.

Following delays due to Covid, work on the redevelopment began in Spring 2021, introducing new accessible facilities to the cinema as well as delivering vital repair and conservation works. The cinema reopened in June 2023, with a summer of films and events welcoming audiences back, including the launch of  new programme strands including Cinema Africa!, reRUN, Pavilion Presents and Hyde Park Film School.   

More details about the Picture House's history can be found here.