Innis’s Cinema Paradiso

Innis College recently celebrated the reopening of Town Hall, inviting more than 250 guests – including Degrassi creator Linda Schuyler (BA 1974 Innis) and actor Sarah Gadon (BA 2014 Innis) – to celebrate its new state-of-the-art theatre. The event included a screening of David Cronenberg’s latest film, Maps to the Stars, and an on-stage interview with Gadon, who played one of the leading roles.

Town Hall has always been “a magical movie place, a teaching space and the centre of the college and the film community,” says Pam Fossen (BA 1990 Innis). “It wasn’t known for its comfort or its beauty. But with the recent overhaul, it could be rightfully known for both.”

As part of the $3-million renovation, Innis Town Hall received audio-visual enhancements, new lighting, state-of-the-art projection equipment and sound-dampening architecture. Janet Paterson, principal of Innis College, says the venue will serve as a prime screening space for both students in the Cinema Studies program and the wider university and Toronto communities. “It’s a wonderful place to learn, teach and also be entertained,” she says.

Watch: Alumni and students reminisce about Innis Town Hall and celebrate the renovations

Video by Innis Alumni