Edgar Wright becomes patron of The Mowlem in Swanage

Edgar Wright saw Watership Down and Star Trek: The Motion Picture at The Mowlem

Film director Edgar Wright has been appointed as the first-ever patron of the cinema he used to go to as a child.

The director of the celebrated Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy - Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End - will take up the position at The Mowlem, in Swanage, Dorset.

He was born in Swanage and lived there until he was seven years old.

"I am proud to be a patron; I'm a film director now, but I never stopped being a film-goer," Mr Wright said.

"The Mowlem was one of the first cinemas I ever attended, and it was partly responsible for a film fandom that continues to this day.

"Some movies I saw there in first release with my parents and older brother Oscar, included the Ralph Bakshi animated Lord Of The Rings, Watership Down, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Clash Of The Titans.

"I returned to Swanage for a break last summer and was thrilled that the Mowlem was still showing movies.

"Standing in the auditorium again was a very pleasant experience, and I hope to be down again soon."

Wright is the director of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End

Mr Wright also attended the nearby Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design in 1994, where he received a National Diploma in Audio-Visual Design.

Now known as Arts University Bournemouth, in 2018 it awarded him with an Honorary Fellowship.

Paul Angel, chair of The Mowlem Institute Charity, said: "Edgar is one of the most distinctive and influential filmmakers working in the UK today and it was fantastic to find out The Mowlem was his childhood cinema.

"We've been working hard to generate a feeling of renewal and excitement around The Mowlem, and what can be more exciting than having Edgar Wright as our patron."

Trustee and fundraising project manager Laura Dickens said the director's endorsement of the venue as a "seminal childhood cinema" showed "how important it is that we continue to provide top-quality film, music and theatre for future generations".

In a statement the Board of Trustees said it was looking forward to making the cinema, which opened in 1967, "not just the cultural hub of Swanage but also a destination for visitors from across the region and beyond".

Mr Wright's other directorial credits include Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho, the music documentary The Sparks Brothers, and the TV series Spaced.

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