Bristol's Watershed named in Time Out's list of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world

Today, Time Out – the global media and hospitality brand that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city – reveals its list of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world, with Bristol's Watershed coming in at 28th. 

Image: Watershed 

Time Out’s global film editor Phil de Semlyen has canvassed local experts from across the world – as well as top directors like Pedro Almodóvar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Baker and Mia Hansen-Løve – to curate the ultimate guide to local cinemas that make the movie-going experience even more special.

“There’s never been a better – or more important – time to celebrate cinemas,” said Phil de Semlyen, global film editor at Time Out. “They’re the places we go to dream, focal points of our communities and an all-round great escape – and they’re faced with unprecedented challenges. But there’s reasons for optimism: the Letterboxd generation is embracing the big-screen experience like never before, with Oscar-winning filmmakers like Ryan Coogler, Christopher Nolan and Chloé Zhao its tireless champions. In that spirit, we’ve pointed a spotlight at a hundred magnificent movie palaces from across the globe that all movie lovers should know about – and hopefully visit." 

Here is the full ranked list of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world, and below is arts and culture journalist James Balmont's summary of Watershed: 

"Founded at a time when most of the Victorian warehouses around it were still derelict, this Bristol institution was the nation’s first true media centre when it opened in 1982. Fans like the late, great Pete Postlethwaite – the first to sponsor a seat in the three-screen venue, in 2004 – would later champion the ‘adventurous, cosmopolitan’ nature of the place. They’re values this cherished cultural hub still upholds today with its diverse programming and community focus. Their famous nachos, meanwhile, have their own cult following."