First opened in 1962, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) is a contemporary arts centre found 2 miles south of the city centre. The cinema at MAC opened in 1987, making use of space previously home to squash courts, as part of a redevelopment project funded by West Midlands County Council. Before the cinema opened films were screened in various spaces including the Studio Theatre, which was home for a short while to the Midland Film Theatre, launched in 1971 with a programme of Ealing comedies. One of Birmingham’s few independent cinemas, MAC’s current programme boasts an eclectic mix of new releases, archive treasures and cult classics, family film and cinema from around the world.