The New Town Cinema opened in Mechelen on October 8. The building, which has been empty for years, has been converted into convenient movie theaters and catering businesses in the past two years. Lumière will direct cinema and will mainly present contemporary films with a focus on Flanders and Europe.
Work began on the vacant building at Frederik de Merodestraat in November 2019. The 1883 building served for a long time as a town hall and school, but was closed in 2011 due to the presence of asbestos in the building. Since then, a new destination has been sought. With the help of a heritage subsidy from the Flemish government, the city of Mechelen and director Lumiere invested in the renovation and conversion of the building into a cinema complex. There are three rooms each of which can accommodate about 300 people. In addition, there is also a catering company, as a result of which the site has been renamed as a cultural meeting place.
The city cinema will open festively on October 7, and the first films will be shown to the public from October 8. The film program is a great mix of new movies, previews, filmmakers, documentaries and restored classics. More information about cinema and programming at www.lumiere-mechelen.be (Belga / Belga)
