THE premiere season of films in aid of Wivenhoe’s Reel Appeal starts tomorrow.

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll is the first film being shown in the town to mark the start of regular Saturday night screenings.

Wivenhoe Film Theatre, as part of its ongoing Reel Appeal initiative, has launched a new film society, called Moving Image, which is organising the initiative.

The Reel Appeal was started by Wivenhoe Film Theatre with the aim of getting a community cinema in the town.

But the project has stalled after the working group pulled out of the scheme following consultation with a number of professionals, including architects, surveyors and fundraisers.

They had hoped to buy the St John Ambulance building, in Chapel Road, to house the cinema and needed £150,000.

Wivenhoe Film Theatre secretary Moira Collett said it was still keeping that project as its objective, but wanted to provide the community with films in the meantime.

She said: “The main thing is to show a wide variety of films locally that are not otherwise available because the Odeon shows mainstream films.”

Starting from tomorrow, regular screenings will be held at the Phillip Road Centre.

Occasional Sunday afternoon family flicks will be shown, too, starting with animated film, How to Train Your Dragon, on October 24.

Wivenhoe Film Theatre has bought a large cinema screen and is installing blackout blinds and a portable box office.

Digital projects and a sound system have been loaned by Essex University, but it is hoped the group will eventually buy its own projection equipment, once it has established a programme of screenings.

Explaining the choice of Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll as the first film, Mrs Collett said: “When we had a public meeting about this, way back, it was a bit of a joke really, but people said that’s the kind of film they would like to see if they go.”

Essex University’s Lakeside Theatre has also given Wivenhoe Film Theatre a slot to screen films on alternate Monday evenings during autumn term time, starting on October 11.

The first Monday film to be shown will be Italian film, Gomorrah, part of the overall theme of Outside the Law, which will include British and European gangster movies.

l Full details of their film programmes, go to www.moving image.org.uk