The idea behind Dorset Moviola is to bring big movies to small villages across the county which have little or no access to cinemas. It was set up by self-confessed movie enthusiast Phil Wakeley after being trialled at the Purbeck Film Festival. Phil says they are following in the traditions of rural cinema which only really died out 30 years ago - there were full time 'picture houses' in many Dorset market towns and there were also mobile cinemas bringinging big movies to small villages. What makes Moviola different is that rather than being like what Phil calls a "circus coming to town", they work with 46 local partners and village halls who do the marketting and take a share of the proceeds. The scheme puts money back into the community - £8,500 last year. The scheme uses digital light projectors to show the films on lightweight portable screens that the team erect in the village hall before each show. There is still all the trimmings of a night at the flicks - although there could be homemade tea and scones alongside the popcorn. There is usually a short film shown before the main attraction, sometimes produced by local film-makers. "It's all about making a cultural contribution to rural communities", says Phil Walkley "Its great to see people getting out of their houses, walking to the 'cinema' which is something you can't normally do, and then chatting to their neighbours during the intermission." and the main distribution companies are starting to take notice of the potential of such a market for film. Moviola put on ten shows a week around Dorset, as well as the fringes of Devon, Somerset and Hampshire, with a diverse programme of films which have recently come off the main multiplex circuit. | 
