Image Credit: Photo of Rosie Greatorex, Executive Director, Rio Cinema.

For more than a century, the Rio Cinema has stood on Kingsland High Street, but its greatest achievement isn’t simply surviving – it’s remaining one of London’s most fiercely independent cultural spaces. For the past 50 years, the Rio has been run by and for its community, proving that cinema can be far more than somewhere to watch films. It can be a meeting place, a launchpad for ideas, a home for creativity and a catalyst for connection.

Few people embody that spirit more than Rosie Greatorex. Having built her reputation championing independent film and community – led programming at The Lexi Cinema before becoming Executive Director of the Rio in 2024, Rosie has become one of the most exciting voices shaping London’s cinema culture today. Her passion lies not only in great films, but in creating unforgettable experiences around them – bringing filmmakers, festivals, artists, DJs, activists and audiences together under one roof.

It’s the perfect moment to catch up with Rosie as the Rio continues RIO FOREVER – its year-long celebration marking half a century of community ownership. Looking back through the cinema’s remarkable archive while imagining what the next fifty years could look like, the season is as much about the future of independent cinema as it is about its past.

As Rosie tells us: “The Rio has always been programmed with a uniquely collaborative ethos… I don’t think one single person could bring together a programme this diverse, you need a hive mind.” That generosity of spirit runs throughout both Rosie and the Rio – a belief that culture should be shared, accessible and created collectively.

In our interview, Rosie reflects on the future of independent cinemas, why audiences are rediscovering the joy of watching films together, and how the Rio continues to evolve alongside Hackney itself. She also shares three London places she loves – from the legendary Londis N16, to Dalston Curve Garden, and The Common Press – each reflecting her passion for neighbourhood, community and creativity.

Then, once you’ve finished reading, do yourself a favour: head to the Rio. Catch a film, stay for the conversation, discover something unexpected and, if you can, become a member. Independent cinemas only have a future if we choose to be part of it – and few are more deserving of your support than this remarkable East London institution.

Every film lover seems to have a moment when cinema stops being just entertainment and becomes something much bigger. When did you realise that creating spaces for audiences could become your life’s work?

There’s something in that moment between the curator and the film itself and the audience that I just love. The way a cinema screening frames a film: it’s happening at this time, with this audience, on this format – this is worth watching, this person has curated this, for you. I’m also really excited by the political use of the archive, of screening something from 20 or 30 years ago which resonates in a new way today. Sylvie Dumont screened Killer of Sheep at the Rio a few weeks ago to a packed house, and her introduction to that was electric. We screened a 35mm print of Orlando, with So Mayer and Sally Potter in conversation as part of RIO FOREVER. It was revelatory, the way a film from 1992 could still connect in such a powerful way. Sally Potter got mobbed at the end!

Image Credit: Photo of the Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, London E8 2PB.

The Rio has survived wars, recessions, streaming, pandemics, changing neighbourhoods and huge shifts in how people consume culture. What do you think people often misunderstand about a community cinema – and why does the Rio still matter so much in Hackney in 2026?

There’s a lot of activity that goes on under the radar. The community groups meeting here for film discussion groups, the low / no budget filmmakers coming in to test their films, the thousands of schoolkids coming through our doors each year, the grassroots creative projects which we’re able to offer space to.

It’s also down to the dedicated cinema workers who have kept the Rio going – the constant back and forth of programming ideas and fliers being designed and printed, testing films, sharing films, experiences and stories passed on between us all. At the Rio, we hold this incredible archive of the cinema’s radical history – the film programming and the political organising that was happening here in the 80s, for example – and also we hold part of the record of the cultural story of the borough, via the Tape / Slide archive. This informs our work really deeply, and our values, too.

The way people consume culture has changed, sure, but our need for escape, and for connection, for romance and entertainment and political solidarity, to feel good, to feel like you belong in your own neighbourhood, none of that’s changed. And this is about affordability too, right, because you need people to be able to access these spaces. In a borough like Hackney, venues like the Rio are irreplaceable.

Image Credit: Photo from the Rio archive of the audience watching ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ in 1994.

The Rio’s programme feels very different from both a multiplex and a traditional arthouse cinema. There seems to be a particular blend of film, community, nightlife, activism, curiosity and joy. How would you describe the Rio’s personality – and what ingredients do you and your team consciously bring together to create that atmosphere?

“Film, community, nightlife, activism, curiosity and joy” – thanks for that, we might put it on the next Rio T-shirt!

The Rio has always been programmed with a uniquely collaborative ethos and we all honour that and support each others’ projects. We have a strict “no gatekeeping” policy at the Rio. I programme our main features, and work with the festivals we host but we also have a ton of really talented programmers working on the staff team, all of whom contribute via their own film clubs or strands: Pink Palace, Never Watching Movies, Category H, Kino Polonia, the Varda Film Club. I’ve learnt so much from the rest of the Rio team. I don’t think one single person could bring together a programme this diverse, you need a hive mind, and the collective spirit of the Rio means we’re able to serve a lot of different audiences.

Image Credit: Photo from the Rio archive of the local neighbourhood – Kingsland Road, Dalston.

The film industry is constantly being told that audiences are staying at home, attention spans are shrinking and streaming is winning. Yet some cinemas seem to be thriving. Looking ahead over the next decade, what do you think the most successful independent cinemas will understand that others might miss?

You can’t deny that streaming is shifting cinema’s place our film-watching lives, and I have no doubt that our attention spans are all shot to pieces! But we’re also seeing younger audiences turning out in huge numbers for repertory programming that 10 or 15 years ago would have been for the old heads only. There’s an appetite and curiosity that feels new. And I’m happy to say, the Rio has had it’s best year at the box office for ages.

Independent cinemas know their audiences inside out, are keenly aware of all the upcoming releases and what will work for their specific audience. There’s a new wave of distributors like Conic and T.A.P.E. Collective bringing us beautiful films like Cactus Pears and Blue Heron and Bouchra: it’s part of our job to help these films find an audience. We’re not just hosting post-show panels, we’re running zine workshops and booking DJs for the bar to match the film. And we love a themed house cocktail.

Image Credit: Photo of the SPORTS BANGER BILLBOARD celebrating 50 Years of the Rio Cinema in 2026.

Hackney has transformed dramatically over the last fifty years, and London continues to evolve at pace. How do you ensure the Rio remains genuinely rooted in its local community while also welcoming new audiences and reflecting the city London is becoming?

We have an international outlook, and very local roots. This is why I love my job: with a film festival, you reach your audience once a year. To programme a neighbourhood cinema, you’re engaged in a year-round dialogue with your audience, you’re part of the cultural life of the area. To be doing this in Dalston, opposite Ridley Road market, and the shopping village, in the heart of our neighbourhood, I hope it means people have more access to film and moving image culture than if they had to go to the Southbank for it.

We aren’t just here to present our programming to the rest of Hackney, it’s also our remit to provide a space for the communities we serve, to curate the events they want to see. One of my favourite regular strands is our Arabic Cinema Club – their film programme is incredible, I’m so proud that we’re their home. We also do a lot of grassroots LGBTQIA+ programming, with projects such as the award-winning One Queer Day in Hackney, and we love to work with Carnival arts organisations such as Tropical Isles. Hackney Literacy Pirates are just over the road, too.

I want to talk a bit about festivals here too, because they play a really important role in both rooting us in Hackney and developing conversations with new audiences. Festivals such as Doc’n Roll Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Film Africa, Queer East, are part of international film culture, bringing incredible global cinema, and high profile events, to our area. I’m also really proud that we’re the only cinema to be partnering with the V&A East on The Music Is Black.

East London is cinema’s heartland, though, and Hackney also has some incredible, longstanding homegrown festivals: Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Festival; The London Kurdish Film Festival and Fighting Spirit Film Festival to name but a few. We love working with newer fests too, such as the Creative Non-fiction Weekend. CNFW are doing some of the most interesting programming in London at the moment.

Image Credit: Photo of Corrina Antrobus (left), Misan Harriman (centre), and Rosie Greatorex (right) at the screening and Q&A of SHOOT THE PEOPLE at the Rio Cinema, July 2026. Running until 16 July at riocinema.org.uk

The Summer of Cinema programme is packed with collaborators, film clubs, special guests and unexpected encounters. Without giving away too many secrets, what can you tell us about what’s still to come in the RIO FOREVER season this autumn – and what are your ambitions for the Rio once the 50th anniversary celebrations have ended?

OMG yes, I would love to give you these secrets! At the moment we’re lining up our RIO FOREVER guest curators for September – November: we’ll be welcoming Rio patrons Asif Kapadia and Dionne Edwards as well as Ashley Clarke, Ben Whishaw, Akinola Davies and more, plus there are some really exciting people we’re talking to that I can’t reveal yet. I’m asking all of our guests to choose titles that imagine a future cinema, or express some aspect of where they see film culture going.

Alongside RIO FOREVER we’ll also be hosting Doc’n Roll Film Festival, the Palestine Film Festival, Film Africa, the Hong Kong film festival and the Fighting Spirit Film Festival (a martial arts spectacular!) in the Autumn.

We’ll also be drawing on the Rio Archive for a number of events: The Times of Harvey Milk and Carry Greenham Home both lean into the Rio’s activist roots, and how communities use cultural spaces to organise.

My ambition for the Rio is for us to continue to lean into our heritage and community roots, and to keep bringing incredible cinema to Hackney and beyond. As the custodians of this storied institution. I want the Rio to thrive for another 50 years. Part of that means starting to imagine now what a future cinema might look like, and getting our audiences involved in that too. I must admit, this glorious but rather shabby Grade 2 listed building both needs and deserves a refurb. And this radical archive we hold deserves to be made accessible to more people. But we are working on it!

Film: RIO FOREVER | 50 Years of Community Cinema at Rio Cinema | 2026

Run Riot is all about helping people discover culture and community. Could you recommend three of your favourite cultural places, venues or communities in London – and tell us what makes each one special to you?

Londis N16. My local corner shop happens to be the now-legendary Londis N16. If you know, you know! Quite possibly the only Londis worth travelling off your usual routes for; Maya, Anju, Priyesh and the rest of the family are not messing about! Home-cooked Gujarati food alongside your usual convenience-store staples. We showed Huxley Scott’s short documentary about Londis N16 recently and tickets sold out in 24 hours!

Dalston Curve Garden. Everyone loves the Curve Garden: it’s relaxed, it’s inclusive, it’s free, it’s amazing for all of us who live in flats and don’t have gardens. I had a baby during the pandemic and they opened up especially for new parents who couldn’t meet up inside, so we could still get that social time. I know they did this for a lot of other groups too, and it was all organised informally on whatsapp – literally grassroots organising!

The Common Press. Honestly, thank God for The Common Press and people like Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir who are doing the work for their community on a daily basis. The Common Press is a bookshop and café for queer, underrepresented authors, and voices from the Global majority. Places like this keep hope alive for everyone. Their original venue is in Shoreditch, and Aisha has just soft-launched a second space just up the road from the Rio!

Find Rosie on Insta @rosiegreatorex

Rio Cinema Celebrates 50 years throughout 2026 → riocinema.org.uk @riocinema