Did you know that St. Catharines, Ontario, recently ranked #9 in Time Out’s 2026 list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, between neighbourhoods in Tokyo and Rome?
We’re sure no small part of that is due to The Film House, a thoughtfully programmed cinema inside the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre! The space does double duty as a lecture hall for Brock students during the day and a cinema at night.
Programming is a mix of second-run, independent, repertory and locally produced films, and local filmmaker nights bring out strong community support from audiences who want to see Niagara work on the big screen. The Film House’s Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings sell out every time, led by a local host who has been with the venue for six years.
We spoke with Cathy Carr, Film Programmer at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, about running a cinema that’s a classroom by day, plans for an Irish Film Festival in summer 2027 and how local wine and beer earned a spot next to the popcorn.
What makes The Film House unique?
We’re located within a performing arts venue, so we’re part of a larger arts community. We also have Brock University right in our backyard!
The Film House is used as a lecture space for Brock during the day, so our space serves two purposes- classroom by day, cinema by night.
What sort of films does the venue show?
We show a mix of second-run, independent, repertory, and locally produced films.
What are The Film House’s greatest challenges?
Visibility is probably our biggest challenge. We don’t have a marquee or any exterior signage indicating that there’s a cinema in the building, so people don’t always know we’re here.
We also have Cineplex and Landmark nearby, so we’re competing with the larger cinemas. Our seats aren’t as comfortable as those in the bigger theatres, and there’s not much we can do about that since Brock also uses the space for lectures.
What are your favourite compliments that The Film House receives from its audience?
One that stands out was when someone attended a screening of Paris Is Burning and told our staff that they felt they had finally found their community here in Niagara. It had been a film that they wanted to see, but couldn’t find anywhere- that always feels good.
We also get a lot of support from the community when we host local filmmaker nights. People are really into seeing local work on the big screen, and we get a lot of compliments about what a great cinema we have.
What’s a memorable film screening or event hosted at the venue?
Our Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) screenings are always great and always sold out. We have an incredible local host, who has been with us for 6 years and the community really comes out to support them.
What are the most popular concession items?
Popcorn and our local wine/beer.
What projects are you considering for the future of The Film House?
We’d like to do more film festivals. We’re considering an Irish Film Festival for summer 2027, and we’ll continue our Art in Action Film Festival in 2028.
Tell us about yourself; how did you get your start in film exhibition?
I worked at TIFF for many years in their Exhibitions department. This was back when they had these massive film-based exhibitions in the galleries at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Those spaces are now used for rentals and press conferences.
When I moved from Toronto to Niagara, I applied for the Film Programmer position at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, and I’ve been here for almost seven years now.