ARC Cinema - Tees Valley's Independent Cinema
ARC Cinema provides the perfect intimate setting for your favourite independent films. Grab a drink from the bar (hot or cold) and relax in front of the best films around.
If we know you love films, we will send you monthly updates on ARC Cinema listings. If you haven’t been receiving information join our dedicated ARC Cinema mailing list by emailing cinema@arconline.co.uk or contact Box Office on 01642 525199.
Student Night - £2 tickets every Tuesday!
Tuesday night is Student Night at ARC Cinema! We have introduced a special £2 ticket for NUS and Student card holders on 5pm/5.30pm and 8pm showings every Tuesday.
Silver Screen
Our new weekday matinee showings which will take place every Wednesday at 2pm. There will be a special price of £2.50 for anyone over 60 and normal price for all others. The £2.50 ticket also entitles you to a free regular coffee or tea after the film.
Please be aware that if a film is longer than two hours the earlier showing will begin at 5pm to ensure there are no clashes with the 8pm.
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You can download the current cinema brochure using the link below.
The Orphanage (El Orfanato) (15)
Running Time - 1hr 45mins. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Saturday 5th to Thursday 10th July (Excluding Sunday and Monday) at 5.30pm & 8pm. 2pm showing on Wednesday (Silver Screen).
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and starring Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo and Roger Príncep.
The Orphanage, presented by Oscar-Nominee Guillermo del Toro, centers on a Laura who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a place for disabled children. Once there, Laura discovers that the new environment awakens her son’s imagination, but the ongoing fantasy games he plays with an invisible friend quickly turn into something more disturbing. Upon seeing her family increasingly threatened by the strange occurrences in the house, Laura looks to a group of parapsychologists for help in unraveling the mystery that has taken over the place.
“The new ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. Excellent” The Guardian
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Optimum Releasing.
Mongol (15)
Running Time - 2hrs. In Mongolian with English subtitles.
Friday 11th to Thursday 17th July (Excluding Sunday and Monday) at 5.30pm & 8pm & 2pm showings on Friday and Wednesday (Silver Screen).
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Sergei Bodrov and starring Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun and Khulan Chuluun.
Genghis Khan is one of the most famous leaders in world history.
He was the creator of a vast Mongolian Empire who conquered half of the globe.
Award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (“Prisoner of the Mountains”) illuminates the life and legend of Genghis Khan in his stunning historical epic, MONGOL. Based on leading scholarly accounts and written by Bodrov and Arif Aliyev, MONGOL delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not as the evil brute of hoary stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. MONGOL shows us the making of an extraordinary man, and the foundation on which so much of his greatness rested: his relationship with his wife, Borte, his lifelong love and most trusted advisor.
Filmed in the very lands that gave birth to Genghis Khan, MONGOL transports us back to a distant and exotic period in world history; to a nomad’s landscape of endless space, climatic extremes and ever-present danger. In a performance of powerful stillness and subtlety, celebrated young Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu (“Zatoitchi”, “Last Life in the Universe”) captures the inner fire that enabled a hunted boy to become a legendary conqueror. Asano’s achievement is matched by those of his co-stars, including the radiant newcomer Khulan Chuluun as Temudgin’s courageous, spirited wife Borte, and the Chinese actor Honglei Sun (“The Road Home”) as the Mongol chieftain Jamukha, Temudgin’s dearest friend and deadliest enemy. Masterfully blending action and emotion against some of the most arresting terrain on earth, Bodrov delivers an exciting and awe-inspiring tale of survival and triumph, and a love story for the ages.
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at 2007 Oscars.
“a sumptuously crafted epic.” Empire
Official Website
Image courtesy of The Works UK.
The Edge of Love (15)
Running Time - 1hr 50mins
Friday 18th to Thursday 24th July (Excluding Sunday and Monday) at 5.30pm & 8pm & 2pm showing on Friday and Wednesday (Silver Screen),
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by John Maybury and starring Cillian Murphy, Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Matthew Rhys.
Directed by the award-winning John Maybury, The Edge of Love is a beautifully drawn love story. The film revolves around two feisty, free-spirited women, Caitlin Thomas and Vera Killick, Vera's husband William Killick, and the brilliant, charismatic poet Dylan Thomas who loves both women. Broken promises, passion, betrayal, the shadow of war and the constant threat of imminent death push the protagonists to THE EDGE OF LOVE. By no means a biopic in the traditional vein, the story explores the bohemian underworld of war-torn London, and the intimate complexities of two young couples whose lives and loves become dangerously intertwined.
Opening film at the 2008 Edinburgh Film Festival.
“intriguingly dreamy” Empire
Official Website
Image courtesy of Lionsgate.
Garbage Warrior
Running Time - 1hr 26mins
Friday 25th and Saturday 26th july at 5.30pm & 8pm. 2pm showing on Friday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Oliver Hodge and starring Michael Reynolds.
What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much unless you're renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing. For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of "Earthship Biotecture" by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony.
However, these experimental structures that defy state standards create conflict between Reynolds and the authorities, who are backed by big business. Frustrated by antiquated legislation, Reynolds lobbies for the right to create a sustainable living test site. While politicians hum and ha, Mother Nature strikes, leaving communities devastated by tsunamis and hurricanes. Reynolds and his crew seize the opportunity to lend their pioneering skills to those who need it most. Shot over three years and in four countries, Garbage Warrior is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st century.
Nominated for Best British Documentary at British Independent Film Awards.
“A truly inspiring movie.” BBC
Official Website
Image courrtesy of ICA
Gone Baby Gone (15)
Tuesday 29th to Thursday 31st July at 5.30pm & 8pm. 2pm showing Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Ben Affleck and starring Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan and Michelle Monaghan.
Gone Baby Gone is Ben Affleck’s directorial debut and is based on the novel from the acclaimed author of Mystic River. It is an intense look inside an ongoing investigation about the mysterious disappearance of a little girl. Two young private detectives (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) are hired to take a closer look at the case and soon discover that nothing is what it seems. Ultimately, they will have to risk everything — their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives — to find a little girl-lost. The film also stars Academy Award Winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and Academy Award Nominee Ed Harris (Pollack).
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress at 2007 Oscars.
“A superior, haunting thriller.” Empire
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Buena Vista International.
Female Agents (Les Femmes de l'ombre) (15)
Running Time - 2hrs. In French with English subtitles.
Friday 1st to Thursday 7th August (excluding Sunday and Monday) at 5.30pm & 8pn. 2pm showing Friday and Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Jean-Paul Salomé and starring Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain and Déborah François.
A member of the French Resistance, Louise flees to London after her husband's summary execution. She is recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an intelligence and sabotage service overseen by Churchill himself.
She is immediately assigned to an urgent mission: the rescue of a British agent who has fallen into German hands while preparing for D-Day on the Normandy beaches. The man hasn't talked yet, but there is no time to lose. Louise must first put together an all-female commando unit. She will stop at nothing to get exactly the right women for the mission's special requirements, even if it means lying, blackmailing or securing pardons for serving prisoners.
Suze is a showgirl who excels in the art of seduction. Gaëlle is a chemist and explosives expert. And Jeanne is a prostitute who has already killed in cold blood. Parachuted into Normandy, they are joined by Maria a Jewish Italian radio operator and the final member of the team.
The mission begins well but there are soon complications. Their SOE bosses give the women a new, almost suicidal objective: they must move on to Paris to eliminate Colonel Heindrich, the head of Nazi counter-intelligence, who has gleaned too much information about the Landings.
They are five ordinary women, destined to become heroines.
“Will keep you hooked from start to gripping finish.” Empire
Official Website
Image courtesy of Revolver.
Taxi To The Dark Side (15)
1hr 46mins
Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August at 5.30pm and 8pm. 2pm showing on Friday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed and narrated by Alex Gibney.
The latest prize-winning documentary from Oscar-nominee Alex Gibney, confirms his standing as one of the foremost non-fiction filmmakers working today.
A stunning inquiry into the suspicious death of an Afghani taxi driver at Bagram air base in 2002, the film is a fastidiously assembled, uncommonly well-researched examination of how an innocent civilian was apprehended, imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately murdered by the greatest democracy on earth.
Intermingling documents and records of the incident with candid testimony from eyewitnesses and participants, the film uncovers an inescapable link between the tragic incidents that unfolded in Bagram and the policies made at the very highest level of the United States government in Washington, D.C.
Combining the cool detachment of a forensic expert with the heated indignation of a proud American who holds his country to a high standard, Gibney’s film reveals how the Bush administration has systematically betrayed the very ideals it professes to uphold.
Winner of Best Documentary at 2008 Oscar’s.
“The single most significant film to emerge from the Iraq conflict.” Time Out
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Revolver Entertainment.
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss (15)
Running Time: 1hr 30mins
Tuesday 12th - Thursday 14th August at 5.30pm and 8pm. 2pm showing on Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Alex Holdridge and starring Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a rollicking comic ride and tender journey though love, sex, and modern romance in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve.
Wilson (McNairy), a twenty-nine-year old guy who has just had the worst year of his life, is new to Los Angeles, has no date, no concrete plans and every intention of locking the doors and forgetting the last year ever happened. That is until his best friend, Jacob (Brian McGuire), browbeats him into posting a personal ad on Craig’s List. When Vivian (Simmonds), a strong-willed woman hell bent on being with the right guy at the stroke of midnight responds, a chaotic, sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching journey through the black and white streets of L.A. begins. In the waning hours of the year, emotional vulnerability and bitterly honest humor seem to be waiting around every corner.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a blend of up-and-coming talent and proven experience making it a dazzling independent film not to be missed.
Winner of Best Film at Florida Film Festival 2008.
“A beautiful lo-fi romance” The Observer
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Vertigo Films.
Priceless (Hors de prix) (12a)
Running Time - 1hr 44mins. In French with English subtitles.
Friday 15th - Thursday 21st August (Not Sunday or Monday) at 5.30pm & 8pm. 2pm showing Friday & Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Pierre Salvadori and starring Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh.
Jean, a shy waiter working in a grand hotel, is mistaken for a successful millionaire by the beautiful, scheming adventuress Irène. When she discovers his lowly status, Irène beats a quick retreat. But love-struck Jean has no intention of letting her escape and pursues her to the Côte d'Azur.
Quickly running out of money, he adopts his beloved's lifestyle, setting himself up as a male gigolo and moving into a luxury hotel. Irène eventually accepts the new Jean and starts to give him advice on her way of life. As they grow closer and closer she starts to realize that love is working its subtle magic on her too. Pierre Salvadori (Apres Vous) directs this sexy and thoroughly charming romantic comedy, which is a fresh re-imagining of the cinema classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
“Funny, sexy, romantic and glamorous; just perfect!” Grazia
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Icon Distribution
A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures (18)
Running Time - 1hr 33mins
Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd August at 5.30pm and 8pm. 2pm showing on Friday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by and starring Chris Waitt.
When scraggly, endearingly hapless filmmaker Chris Waitt gets dumped by his girlfriend – the last in a long line of disastrous affairs – he resolves to find out what exactly is wrong with him. Why have all his relationships ended in acrimony or indifference? What will it take for him to dodge everlasting loneliness?
The only way to find out is to ask his past paramours point blank. And so begins an odyssey of inadequacy as our clueless crusader confronts exes who turn out to be mostly incredulous, crushed, or cross as they skewer him with remembrances of his chronic lateness, self-absorption, and delusion. Not even his mother can muster much sympathy!
A Complete History of my Sexual Failures is more than just sweet revenge or hilarious farce; at its core are soft, gooey truths about the sacrifices and self-knowledge required for grown-up love.
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
“Succeeds where his love life fails”. Total Film
Official Website
Image courtesy of Optimum Releasing,
The Visitor (15)
Running Time - 1hr 43mins
Tuesday 26th - Thursday 28th August at 5.30pm & 8pm. 2pm showing on Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman and Danai Jekesai Gurira.
In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life. In actor and filmmaker Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to his award winning directorial debut The Station Agent, Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) stars as Walter Vale, a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter in New York City. Through new found connections with virtual strangers, Walter is awakened to a new world and a new life.
“Oscar, take note.” Rolling Stone Magazine
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Miracle Pictures
Savage Grace (18)
Running Time - 1hr 37mins
Friday 29th and Saturday 30th August at 5.30pm and 8pm. 2pm showing on Friday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Tom Kalin and starring Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane and Eddie Redmayne.
Based on the award winning book, Savage Grace tells the incredible true story of Barbara Daly, who married above her class to Brooks Baekeland, the dashing heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune. Beautiful, red-headed and charismatic, Barbara is still no match for her well-bred husband. The birth of the couple’s only child, Tony, rocks the uneasy balance in this marriage of extremes. Tony is a failure in his father’s eyes. As he matures and becomes increasingly close to his lonely mother, the seeds for a tragedy of spectacular decadence are sown.
Spanning 1946 to 1972, the film unfolds in six acts. The Baekelands’ pursuit of social distinction and the glittering ‘good life’ propels them across the globe. We follow their heady rise and tragic fall against the backdrop of New York, Paris, Cadaques, Mallorca and London.
‘Mesmerizing. Hits you like a stun gun. Oscar-worthy performance by Julianne Moore, which clings to you long after you leave the theater.’ New York Observer
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Revolver Films
Couscous (La graine et le mulet) (15)
Running Time - 2hrs 31mins. In French with English subtitles.
Tuesday 2nd - Thursday 4th September at 5pm & 8pm. 2pm showing Wednesday.
F:£5 C:£4 Tuesday Night £2 for Students & 2pm Wednesday £2.50 for 60+
Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Hafsia Herzi, Leïla D'Issernio and Habib Boufares.
Mister Beiji, a weary sixty years old, is still grinding it out at the shipyard, in a job that has become more painful as the years have worn on. A divorced head of family, he desperately tries to remain close to his loved-ones, a task made the more difficult because of family break-ups and seething tensions which seem to be about to erupt, and which financial difficulties only exacerbate. In this delicate part of his life, it seems like everything contributes to his feeling of uselessness.
He has carried the weight of what he sees as his failure for a long time and his only thought is to overcome it by founding his own business, a restaurant. But it isn't going to be easy. His income is insufficient and irregular, and falls far short of what he'll need to realize his ambition. That doesn't keep him from dreaming about it, talking about it, mostly to his family. That family is, little by little, drawn together around the plan, which has for one and all taken on the symbolic value of a quest for a better life. Thanks to their can-do attitude and all their hard work, the dream will come true... Well, almost...
Winner of Best Film at 2008 César Awards, France.
“A work of wonder, both uplifting and shattering.” The Observer
View Trailer
Official Website
Image courtesy of Artificial Eye.