A ‘social cinema’ is screening a series of Czech and Slovak films to reach out to more of its neighbours.

The Plaza in Great Horton will show the first of its special films on April 20 as part of the ‘Made in Prague: Czech Film UK Roadshow’ organised by the Czech Cultural Institute and supported by Bradford City of Film.

The movies will include suspense thrillers, historical comic book adaptations, teen-focused dramas and children’s adventures, says cinema manager Mike McKenny.

The cinema, in Cross Lane, has been brought back to life by young people’s charity The Joshua Project, based at the Impact Centre, which shares its site with the re-opened Plaza.

The film theatre is running parallel to the community work that the Joshua Project already provides for children, young people and their families in the area.

Mr McKenny says despite more and more Czech and Slovak new arrivals coming into the community, there is still very little for them in the way of their own cultural experiences.

“The Plaza Social Cinema hopes to address this,” he said.

“Not only should this series of films appeal to those Central and Eastern European community members, but the hopes are that those of other cultures can join us and learn more about our neighbours through the enlightening medium of film.

“We believe that films as cultural artefacts can easily introduce people to other cultures that they may not get many other opportunities to learn about.”

The films nights will be every Saturday evening for four weeks, beginning this weekend,with tickets costing £2 full price and £1 for under 18s, students, over 60s and Passport to Leisure holders – a season pass can also be bought for £4 to get entry to all four screenings.

The first film will be Alois Nebel at 7pm, a post World War Two psychological drama with an animated visual style to behold. On April 27 it will be Dom, a coming of age tale of a teenage Slovak girl.

The May 4 film will be Pouta, a crime thriller set in Communist era Czechoslovakia and on May 11 it will be a 4pm screening of Kukfy Se Vraci – a children’s adventure film about a teddy bear that has to find his way home from the dump after being thrown out because his young owner has asthma.

Renata Clark, who is deputy director of the Czech Cultural Institute in London, said: “The fourth year of the touring season Made in Prague UK is better and bigger than ever and we are delighted that amongst our regular cities we can welcome Bradford for the first time.

“We feel it is extremely important not only to present the best of Czech cinema to the general UK audiences but also enable the Czech community living in the UK to see the films, which they would heard about from their friends and families, keeping in touch with their own culture”.