Film fans have reacted with concern at the idea of a big chain being brought in to run the National Media Museum’s cinemas.

The city centre museum has confirmed it is in talks with commercial cinema operators and hopes to form a partnership with one of them by the end of the financial year.

The museum has three cinemas, the UK’s first Imax as well as the more arthouse Pictureville and Cubby Broccoli venues. The museum declined to say which venues would be affected by any partnership, citing commercial reasons.

A spokesman said: “We are actively exploring options with a number of commercial cinema operators with a view to forming a partnership that will deliver a better and more cost-effective cinema offer for Bradford from the National Media Museum.”

Irfan Ajeeb, co-director of Bradford’s new international film festival Beyond the Mango, said he recognised the museum was working hard to bring more visitors in, but said it would be a shame if a chain cinema came in and started showing fewer arthouse films and more blockbusters.

He said the Pictureville cinema was a venue of worldwide importance, not just because of its choice of films but also because it retained traditional projection methods while many other screens had gone digital.

Mr Ajeeb, who used to work at the museum, said he had spoken to staff about the potential changes.

He said: “There’s a lot of uncertainty. A lot of the people that work at the museum are, not fearful, but slightly worried.”

Film fan Prue Chennells, of Bingley, said she was concerned to hear the cinemas could be “sold off”, especially with Bradford’s status as a City of Film.

She said: “The loss of the cinemas would be a blow for the city and its many fans of independent cinema who turn up week after week, unlike occasional museum-goers.”

But MP George Galloway (Respect, Bradford West) and Bradford Council’s executive member for culture, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe (Lab), were more supportive of the idea.

Mr Galloway said: “I think this is a necessary step and one I have been advocating since the start of the crisis. I don’t think that just because you franchise to a commercial operator, or go into partnership with one, you’ll get schlock.”

Coun Hinchcliffe said: “I know that the British Film Institute runs its Imax operation in London with a commercial operator.

“If the BFI is able to maintain their strong arthouse cinema programme alongside this commercial operation I’d be happy to see a similar partnership in operation here.”

The need to significantly restructure the museum was highlighted after it was saved from the threat of closure in the summer.

Visitor numbers have fallen and the Science Museum Group as a whole faces funding cuts due in 2015.