Art-house cinema's second act: popular, with dash of alternative

The Harry Potter cardboard cut-out in the lobby of the new Cine-Art House in Kowloon Bay makes clear that a compromise with commercial reality was the sort of magic required to make alternative films available in Hong Kong.

Cine-Art House, the cinema that closed its curtains in 2006 after an 18-year stint in Wan Chai, has reincarnated at Amoy Plaza in Kowloon Bay and will hold its grand opening on Thursday.

Chui Hin-wai, director of Sil-Metropole Organisation, which runs Cine-Art House, said intense competition in the district from Telford MCL and UA Cinema and IMAX at Megabox meant it was not possible to show only art-house features.

'We have been branding ourselves as an art-house cinema showcasing alternative films from Hong Kong, mainland China and the rest of the world, and we set many new box office records. But can we achieve the same results? I'm not sure.

'We cannot afford to lose money in the long run,' Mr Chui said. 'We will still be searching for quality films ... but we must find a way to survive, and this is our priority.'

In 2006, the landlord of Sun Hung Kai Centre in Wan Chai where Cine-Art House was previously located, refused to extend the lease.