AN OSWESTRY cinema says it is bringing more than 12 years of offering unique film experiences to an end of because of uncertainty created around the cost-of-living crisis.

KinoKulture, a community cinema in Arthur Street, will close in March 2023 because of rising bills and uncertainty over its home.

Set up in September 2010, Oswestry's community cinema has brought a lot of 'laughter, tears, conversations, entertaining and educating' but was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, and the subsequent rising energy costs.

A Kinokulture spokesman said: "It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we have come to the very difficult decision to close

"It is difficult enough to keep a single screen cinema going in the best of times but as we head into this unknown future of spiralling costs and lack of security on our tenancy we felt that this was the only decision we could make."

But the owners of Kinokulture remain hopeful that a solution will be found in regards to the renewal of their lease.

They added: "We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us over the past 12 years especially our colleagues at the BFI Film Audience Networks, the Independent Cinema Office and our film festival partners as well as all of you, our wonderful audience."

The cinema will continue to screen films until its closure next March.

For more about its upcoming programme, head to https://www.kinokulture.org.uk/

This month they are playing 'Lost Illusions' & 'Peter Von Kant' as part of the French Film Festival UK, The special 50th Anniversary screening of Blaxploitation Cult Classic 'Blacula', the timely documentary 'The Oil Machine' dramas 'Emily', 'Juniper' and 'Hilma' and the Afro Futurist sci-fi spectacle 'Neptune Frost'.

In December they will bring you 'The Banshees Of Inisherin', Bill Nighy in 'Living' and 'Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical', two brilliant new films from master filmmakers with Park Chan Wook's 'Decision To Leave' and Jafar Panahi's 'No Bears' and much more.

Lastly March will be a whole month of special celebrations showcasing the very best of independent cinema with the return of the WOW: Wales One World & Borderlines Flm Festivals to their screen.