Backrooms

NOW SHOWING

Backrooms

Disclosure Day

COMING SOON

Disclosure Day

The Christophers

NOW SHOWING

The Christophers

Rose of Nevada

NOW SHOWING

Rose of Nevada

Toy Story 5

COMING SOON

Toy Story 5

Summer Celebrations

UPP TURNS 30

Summer of Celebration: Special Events Programme

Save the UPP

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Save the UPP

Lucile

CLASSICS SEASON

Director's Cuts: Lucile Hadžihalilović

35mm: Films on Film

CLASSICS STRAND

35mm: Films on Film

Kino Kids Cinema Club

FAMILY CLASSICS EVERY OTHER SUNDAY

Kino Kids Cinema Club

Oxford’s home of independent cinema

The Ultimate Picture Palace is Oxford’s oldest independent cinema. Founded in 1911 and community-owned since 2022, we show a mix of independent, international, and classic films all in our cosy single-screen auditorium. Find us on the Cowley Road in East Oxford.

Oxford cinema The Ultimate Picture Palace

What's on

Tomorrow (Tuesday 9th June)

18:00

Ackroyd & Harvey Art of Activism 12A
£6 for Members + Intro
1h 17m
Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey’s internationally acclaimed collaborative art responds to the climate crisis through striking ecological works. Fiona Cunningham-Reid’s documentary explores their practice at the intersection of art, activism and biology. Screening plus introduction.

Book here

20:15

The Christophers 15
£6 for Members
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

Book here


Wednesday 10th June

14:45

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

Book here

17:30

Orphan 15
2h 13m | Hungarian w/ English subtitles
In Budapest, 1957, a Jewish boy awaiting his father’s return from the camps is confronted by a mysterious man claiming to be his real parent. Oscar-winner László Nemes (Son of Saul) directs this powerful drama about identity, trauma and postwar Hungary.

Book here

20:30

Reflection in a Dead Diamond 15
1h 27m | French & Italian w/ English subtitles
When a mysterious woman vanishes from the room next door, an ageing former spy living on the Côte d’Azur is drawn back into a world of fractured memories and buried secrets. Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s stylised thriller blends espionage, psychological intrigue and grindhouse homage.

Book here


Coming soon

A young woman stands in a lake, getting ready to jump in.

Have a Gd Trip presents Skateboard Film Club

Sunday 14 June
A skate film night featuring the Oxford premiere of Polar’s latest full-length You Got It My Boy Jamie.., alongside work from Skateboard Café, Pass~Port and Krooked. Curated by Keen Distribution with Skateboard GB, it showcases leading modern skate filmmakers and brands. Tickets just £6.

Black and white image of a man in a suit overlaid with textured psychedelic imagery.

Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair

19 to 25 June
Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair is an annual film festival showcasing some of the greatest works of cinema from across the globe that venture into the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history. Our selections include Oldboy, Gummo, The Ascent and more.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Peter Jackson Earth Day 2023

Oxford Comedy Festival

Late June & July
The Oxford Comedy Festival brings the best comedians headed to Edinburgh and other large festivals to the Oxford community. At UPP, comics will introduce comedy classics that influenced their work, including Legally Blonde, What We Do In The Shadows and more.

Become a member

Our community of UPP members get exclusive discounts including 2 free tickets, a free drink at our cosy bar and £2 off the price of tickets. 

UPP News

Find out the latest news and updates from the UPP and our community

Changes to our Toilet Facilities

Changes to our Toilet Facilities

At our UPP, we aim for everyone to feel welcome. As part of ongoing improvements to our facilities, we are introducing a mix of ... Read more

Ruskin Students’ Short Films Season Extended

Ruskin Students’ Short Films Season Extended

The Ultimate Picture Palace are delighted to partner with Ruskin School of Art, to exhibit a selection of their students’ short films. ... Read more

A Summer of Celebration – as the UPP turns 30

A Summer of Celebration – as the UPP turns 30

This summer, we’re celebrating not one but two major milestones in Oxford cinema history - 30 years of the Ultimate Picture Palace, ... Read more

Hire the cinema

Our unique art-deco venue is the perfect place for private screenings, children and adult birthday parties, fundraisers, premieres, presentations, community events, film festivals and more.

Find out more