Beloved for its art deco design and authentic red curtain, The Rio Cinema is a Hackney landmark. It is the longest-operating community cinema in London but that is not the only feather in its cap. The Rio has also been hosting the UK’s only weekly queer movie night since 2021.
Every Wednesday, the cinema’s basement transforms into “Pink Palace”, an intimate space to enjoy queer films, including cult lesbian romances and camp classics.
“Before we put the film on we always introduce it and explain the context, what was happening in pop culture and politics around that time,” says founder, Andrew Woodyatt.
The latest film to be screened was Wigstock, a behind-the-scenes documentary about Nineties drag. “It was really about the drag scene before [RuPaul’s] Drag Race turned it into a global phenomenon, back when wigs were not very sophisticated and it was hard to find high-heeled glitter pink shoes in a size eight,” he shares. “But it also showed the impact of AIDS and we explained [to the audience] that some actors had died from AIDS since the film.”
Woodyatt’s passion project was enabled by funding from Hello Again Hackney, a scheme dedicated to resuscitating the live events industry in a post-pandemic world. Thanks to this, and dedicated council funding for LGBTQ+ innovation, Pink Palace has been able to ensure the event is affordable with ticket prices at £5.
“I didn’t want it to be seen as an intellectual film club but a welcoming space for anyone to turn up and learn about queer films,” Woodyatt says. As a result, Pink Palace attracts a diverse crowd with audience members from all walks of life and across all ages and sexualities.
The future of Pink Palace events includes drag performances and spoken word shows. As far as their beloved film screenings, they are now fielding suggestions from audience members about films that they believe are important milestones in the history of LGBTQ+ cinema. One such recommendation, Gateways Grind, which is about the landscape of lesbian nightlife, will be shown as part of Lesbian Awareness Week in April.
Over time, Woodyatt hopes there will be other dedicated film events for and about the community.
“It’s brilliant. Why should we be the only ones?”
