Prince William visits ActOne cinema in Acton High Street

Prince William served popcorn to Jane Whitworth and was assisted in the bar by Martina, Jessy and Julia. Photograph Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

The film-loving prince spent an hour at the community cinema and even worked for a short spell in the cafe

Ahead of his appearance on the red carpet at Leicester Square for Tom Cruise’s new film, Digger, Prince William made a trip to Acton, W3, to seek out a different kind of cinematic experience.

In stark contrast to the buzz of a blockbuster world premiere, the royal engagement at ActOne Cinema was low key and relaxed. Once the prince emerged from a car that pulled up discreetly outside the Grade II Listed red brick and Portland stone building in Acton High Street, word of his visit soon spread on social media.

ActOne is a vital hub for the local community. Photograph Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Championing grass roots cinema

Located in a refurbished library, the independent cinema is about to celebrate its fifth year and is known for its excellent programming as well as its vibrancy as a community hub.

In October, the cinema will hold an exciting programme of special events for its anniversary and is also hosting the opening night of Ealing Film Festival with Homegrown, a showcase of 17 short films that highlight filmmaking talent from Ealing and neighbouring boroughs.

READ MORE: ActOne cinema and cafe plans its fifth birthday celebrations

The prince told his hosts that he was keen to ‘champion cinema at grass roots’ and believes that ActOne Cinema is a ‘great model for community cinema’, speaking to the ActOne team and a group of young emerging filmmakers for over an hour. He even took a turn at selling tickets and serving popcorn to a very surprised group of cinema goers attending the weekly Carer and Baby screening.

ActOne director, Nick Jones, gives Prince William a tour

Learning about ActOne’s community spirit

“It clearly wasn’t an ordinary Tuesday,” said director Nick Jones, who was in charge of showing the royal around the two-screen cinema with its lounge and café-bar.

“The request came completely out of the blue. We received an email from Kensington Palace and immediately questioned if it was real or a spoof,” he revealed. “It soon became clear it was real – and what a whirlwind!

“The Prince’s team came at very short notice, and we told them the story of how we transformed a derelict library into a thriving community cinema. A few hours later, we were already in talks about how his visit would run and scrambling to be ready.”

Prince William spoke to local filmmakers at a trailer for the Ealing Film Festival. Photograph Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Meeting young filmmakers and creators

“By good fortune we were preparing for the film festival, so I was able to recruit young professionals who are making local short films to come along to meet him,” said Nick.

“We also screened the trailer of the Ealing Film Festival – put together by Alex Archbold Jones – which shows some of the films in the Homegrown section of the event.”

Nick, whose background is in film and television, is one of eight directors who run the cinema as a volunteer. The executive team are backed up by 11 paid Front of House staff including three managers and 60-plus volunteers who generously give their time week in, week out.

“On one level the film world is very glitzy,” says Nick, “but on the other side we are faced with the day-to-day reality of making our venue financially viable and filling it with other events such as our board game, jazz or comedy nights.”

The Prince met partners from The Film and TV Charity including Tracey from Black Production Managers UK. Photograph Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Improving access and inclusion in the film industry

“It was great to see how genuinely engaged Prince William was, asking intelligent questions and showing how passionate he is about film,” said Nick.

The prince also spent time in ActOne’s comfortable lounge area, which is the large space that hosts community events, and talked to partners from the Film and TV Charity about their challenges including improving access in the British film industry.

It was obvious from the ActOne team’s delight at his enthusiasm that the film-loving prince would be welcome to return anytime.

Celebrating ActOne’s fifth birthday

Upcoming events to celebrate ActOne’s fifth anniversary from 9-12 October include Michael Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People, Movie Music with Mark Kermode, Muppet Treasure Island Sing-a-long, the coming-of-age classic American Graffiti and the Bond film No Time to Die. On Thursday 15 October, the opening of the Ealing Film Festival will be launched with Homegrown, showcasing local short films, and culminating in an awards presentation.

ActOne cinema and café in Acton High Street is a short walk from Bedford Park or an easy hop on the E3 bus from Chiswick High Road, stopping near the venue’s entrance.