Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of Cinerama at the National Media Museum, the only venue in Europe that publically shows films in this format.

The NMM is celebrating the occasion with a double bill: This Is Cinerama (1952), the first film of its kind; and In the Picture (2010), which had its European premiere at the Bradford International Film Festival last month.

Cinerama, an ultra-wide film format, was created in 1952. It used three 35mm film strips projected simultaneously onto a 146-degree curved screen to fill the audience’s field of vision with a sharp, finely-detailed image.

The aim was to immerse the audience in their film experience, in much the same way as modern IMAX or 3D cinema.

Film programme manager Tom Vincent said: “We are one of only three public venues in the world that can show Cinerama, and we have some high-profile fans.

“Author Bill Bryson mentions our screenings in his book Notes From A Small Island, and BBC film critic Mark Kermode was prompted to blog about the format after seeing a screening at this year’s Bradford International Film Festival.”

Cinerama arrived at the museum’s Pictureville Cinema in June 1993. Twenty years later, the NMM is still screening Cinerama movies on the first Saturday of each month.

Cinerama Holiday starts its run as the monthly Cinerama film on July 6, starting at 11.10am. The 129-minute film, newly digitally remastered from its 1955 negatives, has an introductory showing on July 4, starting at 7.45pm.

Due to the popularity of the Yorkshire Film Archive screenings at this year’s Bradford International Film Festival, the NMM is re-running the tribute to Bradford documentary film-maker C H Wood on Tuesday, July 9, at 6pm in Pictureville.

Archive film manager Graham Relton said: “The Media Museum have also talked about repeating the Bradford On Film screening which was held at the Cathedral.”

Tickets from nationalmedia museum.org.uk or on 0844 856 3797.