Movie lovers are being asked to vote for The Magic Lantern in Tywyn which is bidding to become the first winner of the Cinema of the Year Award at British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

The Tywyn cinema needs public support to secure a nomination for the new award.

Cinemas nationwide were invited in July to enter and tell BIFA why they are so special.

Voting at www.bifa.film/coty-vote closes on 22 September and a specially selected jury will select the nominees, taking into account audience votes and the cinemas’ submissions.

Five nominees will be announced on 3 November, along with the rest of nominees the BIFAs 2025.

The Magic Lantern is one of the UK’s oldest cinemas, having showed its first film in 1901. The cinema now boasts state of the art technology whilst retaining the traditional charm its age and history deserves.

As well as screening films 364 days a year, it hosts a variety of events, free live music every Friday night, parties, coffee afternoons for local charities, quiz nights, theatre shows - live and on screen - and is a community hub with local organisations often using the venue for special events.

The new award allows local communities to celebrate their favourite cinemas by getting behind them and voting for them to win this prestigious award.

The Magic Lantern Cinema manager, Sara Hulls, said: “We truly believe that The Magic Lantern is a very special place and is a truly important part of our community.

“We are so much more than just a cinema and we would love to be recognised nationally as a thank you to our incredible team of staff who work so hard to make The Lantern so special and our wonderful audiences, who have supported us through some very tough times in recent years.”