Public drive to save cinema

AN ONLINE fundraising campaign was launched yesterday to help save the arthouse Kino cinema in Cork from closure.

The Kino on Washington Street is the only independent arthouse cinema outside of the capital.

It is due to close at the end of the month after running into financial difficulties.

When news of the closure emerged last week, local outcry led to a public meeting being called.

The Kino’s owner, Mick Hannigan, told the meeting at the Cork Opera House that the cinema was facing two problems – a High Court action brought by its main creditors seeking €50,000, and a long-term problem of making the cinema financially viable.

Following the meeting a steering committee was set up to raise funds and to develop a business plan to put the 188-seater cinema on a sound financial footing.

It has launched savethekino.com and a support page on the social networking site, Facebook, which has attracted almost 7,000 supporters.

And yesterday, the committee launched the online fundraising drive through the website.

* www.savethekino.com