FILM enthusiasts from Germany, Holland and all corners of Britain will converge on York for City Screen's celebration of the wide film formats.

Technical manager Darren Briggs, senior projectionist Bill Thomson and the projection team have worked for many months to instigate The 70mm Experience.

"Our selection of films will hopefully cater for all tastes but they all have one thing in common: they are 70mm prints," says Bill. "We're the only British cinema venue that regularly shows films in this now rare format and we're already sourcing more for our future programmes."

The 70mm Experience starts tomorrow with an exclusive 11pm screening of 1982 horror movie Poltergeist (15), written and produced by Steven Spielberg.

"In 70mm and six-track stereo sound on our large screen, this is the only way to appreciate this stunning film," says Bill. "This will be the first time that Poltergeist has been presented in York in this format, and it's an opportunity not to be missed."

David Lean's Lawrence Of Arabia (PG) will be shown in a Super Panavision 70 matinee on Thursday at 12.30pm. Presented as originally filmed, it will be complete with intermission. Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (PG) heralds a busy weekend with an 11pm showing next Friday in the premiere format of 70mm.

Next Saturday's programme opens with Tron (PG), Disney's $20 million re-write of The Wizard Of Oz, at 1.30pm, followed by The Right Stuff (15), Philip Kaufman's Western in the sky, at 3.30pm; a mystery sci-film (cert 15) at 7.45pm; and Starman (PG), John Carpenter's sci-fi love story, at 10.30pm.

Next Sunday morning, November 7, all the projection rooms and behind-the-scenes areas will be open from 10am to noon, offering the chance to see how a cinema is run. "The projection team, led by Darren, is looking forward to meeting as many enthusiasts as possible in two hours. Everyone is welcome and there will be free coffee for all," Bill says.

The screenings continue that day with Lawrence Of Arabia at 12.30pm, Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Oklahoma! (U) at 5.30pm and Bernstein & Sondheim's West Side Story (PG) at 8.50pm.

"One gentleman from Cardiff has e-mailed to say he hasn't seen Oklahoma! in Todd-AO a forerunner of cinemascope since 1955, and he intends to make the journey from Wales just to see it," says Bill.

Tickets cost £6.50 per show, £5.50 for members; or £20 for all November 6's films and £15 for November 7's selection. Box office: 01904 541144.

Further information and full programme>>

Did you know? 70mm film presentation can give up to ten times the definition of the conventional 35mm format.

Updated: 15:47 Thursday, October 28, 2004