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.
What's on
Today (Friday 24th April)
18:00
The Drama 15
1h 45m
20:30
DJ Ahmet PG
1h 39m | Macedonian & Turkish w/ English subtitlesTomorrow (Saturday 25th April)
10:00
The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy 12A
11h 30m + BreaksComing soon
Director’s Cuts: Peter Strickland
9th to 28th May
Director’s Cuts is a new series inviting filmmakers we admire to curate a screening of their own work alongside films that have shaped, inspired, or simply delighted them, past and present. We’re thrilled to launch the series with Peter Strickland.
Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair
19th to 25th 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.
Orson Welles on 35mm Weekend
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th May
Our Lead Projectionist Kit Finnie curates a weekend of Orson Welles classics as we show two of his finest films, Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons – both on magnificent 35mm.
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
Director’s Cuts: New series begins with Peter Strickland
We're delighted to announce a new regular series we're calling Director’s Cuts. Inviting filmmakers we admire to curate a screening ... Read more
Save the UPP
We're sorry to bring you the difficult news that the future of the UPP is at great risk. Today, we're launching a campaign to save ... Read more
Donate to help save the UPP
The future of the Ultimate Picture Palace is at risk. To secure the cinema’s future, we must persuade our landlord, Oriel College, ... 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.