An independent cinema website that keeps listings current and sends people to book
Most visits to a cinema's site are one question: what's on, and when? An independent cinema website should answer that in a scannable listing, with each screening linking straight to booking. Anticode can hold the listings in its CMS and build the pages around them; seat booking stays with your ticketing system, linked per screening.
Where Anticode fits, and where it doesn't
Seat booking needs a ticketing system: screens with seat maps, capacity per screening, concession types, ticket scanning and refunds. Anticode doesn't do any of that, and published pages can't embed a booking widget. What it can do is build a fast, well-designed site around your programme and send each screening to the right booking page. Many small cinemas already use a ticketing provider whose own listings page is plain; a separate site gives the programme the presentation it deserves.
The trade-off is manual work. Anticode doesn't import listings from your ticketing system, so someone updates the CMS when the programme is set. For a single-screen or community cinema with a weekly programme, that's a short job; for a busy multi-screen venue with daily changes, a ticketing provider's integrated website may be less work.
Listings in the CMS
Use two collections. films holds what doesn't change between screenings; screenings holds each showing.
| Collection | Fields |
|---|---|
| films | Title, year, director, country, running time, age rating, language and subtitles, a synopsis in your own words, a still you're licensed to use, trailer link |
| screenings | Film title, date, time, screen, format (35mm, digital, relaxed, subtitled), ticket link, notes such as an introduction or Q&A |
Each film gets a page at its own address, which is what people share and search for. Write synopses yourself, briefly and with a point of view; distributors' copy appears on every other site, and a curator's voice is a reason to choose an independent cinema. Trailers can't be embedded, so link to them.
A listings page people can scan
- Order by date, with today first, and show times in a large, clear typeface.
- Mark special screenings consistently: relaxed, subtitled, audio described, parent and baby, Q&A.
- Put the running time and age rating beside every title; parents and people catching a last bus check both.
- Make each time a button straight to the ticketing page for that screening, not to the ticketing home page.
- Remove past screenings promptly, or the page loses trust.
Accessible screenings and the building
Write an access page from the real building: step-free routes to each screen, wheelchair spaces and companion seats, the hearing loop or assistive listening, subtitled and audio-described screenings and how they're marked in the listings, relaxed screenings (lights up a little, sound down, freedom to move around) and who they're for, and whether a carer goes free. Anticode's design gate checks focus visibility, alt text and reduced-motion support on the site itself, so the website is usable with assistive technology.
Membership and friends schemes
Many independent cinemas run a membership with discounted tickets or priority booking. Explain the tiers and benefits on a page, and point the "Join" button at the site's one payment link from Stripe, PayPal or another provider, opening a page there that lists the tiers. Be clear about how the discount is applied: usually through your ticketing system, which needs the member set up there. The website doesn't hold member records or logins, so don't promise a members' area on it.
Private hire, events and education
Private hire (birthday screenings, company events, film clubs, school visits) needs an enquiry form with date, number of guests, screen, film or content, and catering. A custom form tied to a site function can carry those fields, and a connector can send each enquiry to Slack or HubSpot. Mention the licensing side plainly: screening a film for an audience generally needs the right licence, and you'll arrange it or advise the hirer.
Design for a cinema
Dark theme with Editorial (Geist) or Swiss (Inter Tight) gives a cinematic feel while keeping times legible; a red or gold action colour suits the booking buttons. Use film stills only where the distributor's press materials permit it. Related: theatres and festivals.
Limits
- No seat booking, ticket sales or seat maps; link each screening to your ticketing system.
- No automatic import of listings; update the CMS by hand.
- No embedded trailers.
- No member logins or member pricing on the site.
Questions people ask
Can an Anticode cinema website sell tickets?
No. It lists screenings and links each one to its booking page on your ticketing system, which handles seats and payment.
Can listings update automatically from our ticketing system?
No. Listings are CMS entries edited in the dashboard. For daily changes across several screens, weigh up the time that takes.
How do we sell memberships?
With the site's payment link, opening a page at your provider that lists the tiers, then set the member up in your ticketing system for discounts.