Belmont Cinema Brings Sea Stories to Cowdray Hall
A free summer film season connects classic cinema to the Tall Ships Races.
This summer, Belmont Community Cinema is hosting a series of free film screenings at Cowdray Hall. Each one links to the sea in some way, from historic naval battles to underwater adventures. It’s a varied mix, chosen to reflect the season’s broader themes in the city, including the Tall Ships event and the Monsters of the Deep exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
This series feels like another step in the careful rebuild of something Aberdeen has missed. The Belmont Community Cinema team are building on recent momentum. From the recent UK Shared Prosperity Fund support to packed-out social events, things are steadily building.
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Films and tides
The programme opens on 28 June with Master and Commander, Russell Crowe’s wind-battered chase across the Pacific. After that, the season dives deeper with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (26 July), climbs into myth with Clash of the Titans (23 August), and finishes in horror territory with Creature From the Black Lagoon (20 September).
Each film has a link to the sea, echoing the Monsters of the Deep exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery and this summer’s Tall Ships visit. It’s a thoughtful connection that places the screenings firmly in Aberdeen’s cultural calendar.
Rooted in community
The cinema space is still closed, but the project is far from dormant. Community support has kept it moving, from donations to film quizzes and on to a film club. Each step forward feels grounded in people, not just plans.
The plan isn’t just to reopen the cinema. It’s to build a space where people will feel welcome, whether they’re there to watch something or spend time. That sense of belonging is being baked in from the start. See our interview with Michelle Soto, the Community Fundraiser and Outreach Lead at Belmont Community Cinema.
The Cowdray Hall screenings are free. Sign up for the Belmont newsletter to hear about future screenings and ways to take part.
