Longridge Palace releases its Christmas advert 2020 - watch it here

The ghosts of Christmas past meet the harsh commercial realities of Christmas present in a Lancashire cinema's new Xmas advert.

Longridge Palace's mini film 'Ghosts' which premiered on YouTube yesterday, has been described by its creator Lara Hewitt as: "a love letter to cinema itself but most especially to our cinema ... which may be just a little picture house in a little town, but to us, it's magical."

She is hoping to repeat the success of last year's Christmas Palace ad which gained thousands of views and proved so popular it featured in a special TV report.

But she acknowledges it is a "bittersweet" film. For yesterday Lara announced the hard decision had been taken that cinema would have to be sold in the new year as it is not paying its way.

She said: "I've cried almost every day for the past month."

Filmmaker Lara has run the cinema for the last three years and acknowledged the ad and a new film she is making called 'The Palace Diaries' draw in part on her experiences and the struggle to make the historic cinema and theatre a success. She said: "It can't be owned by my dad's company any more. It needs somebody else financially managing it. Hopefully (I) can pass on the baton. "

The tender advert opens with Lara packing up her belongings at The Palace and looking at a newspaper cutting which reports on the unexpected death of her father Tony Hewitt, who died shortly after buying the Palace in December 2017.

The intention had been for Lara to run the cinema with him. Instead she oversaw its renovation and reopened the former theatre in 2018. Since then it has, in part, been supported financially by her father's company Parkwood Holdings as she and the Palace team worked to build the business so it could pay its own way. The Palace had a shortfall of £20,000 a year in its running costs prior to its closure earlier this year due to the Covid pandemic.

In what is also a poignant ad Lara, who plays herself, finds a diary from 1918 and so stumbles upon ghosts from Christmas past - principally a fictional first owner of the theatre Harry Lantern, played by Gareth George. The role of Joe is taken by Simon Hallman and pianist Lizzie Dewhurst by Georgina Russell.

The mini film with its mainly north west cast has been written and produced by Lara, directed and filmed at the Palace on Market Place by Stephan Bookas and edited by Gaz Evans.

To create the ad and The Palace Diaries film Lara had to set up a production company which has been named Three Dogs films after her own dogs and Stephan's dog. Lara's border collie Dig Dag is credited as appearing as himself in the ad. Local residents also appear as extras and its song "Ghosts" was written and is performed by Baxter Rhodes.

Lara said: "We did the filming over a few days. Then the editing has taken more than a week. It's been a lot of work. We didn't start filming until lockdown ended and then of course we went into Tier 3. We hope people will enjoy it and we hope people will maybe help sponsor the film we're making."

The production of the ad was later than last year's due to the pandemic. Lara said thanks were due to all the actors, crew and everyone who has helped make the film possible. In particular Stephan, who worked with her on her film Datsche, had given up a lot to be part of The Palace Diaries . She said: "He could have been in Venice working on Mission Impossible but he's here instead."

The Palace Diaries is being filmed now and next month, with the intention of being premiered at The Palace next December.

Lara has set up a crowdfunding appeal to help finance the ambitious film project and this year's cinema ad ends with a link to the appeal. Lara said: "If you would like to help us make a full-length feature film along similar lines, then please take a look at our crowdfunding campaign - anything you could give would help! The film starts in December 2020 with me moving into the cinema to quarantine because I've come back from Paris where I've been dumped. I'm quarantining for mum and I find old diaries in the cellar."

* See https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-palace-diaries#/ or www.thepalacediaries.com

The Palace Diaries: 'Ghosts' is on YouTube here* For our report on the decision to sell the cinema click here