Saffron Screen has thanked the community for raising more than £54,000 - exceeding their fundraising target.
Last summer, the cinema set out to raise £50,000 to help them navigate challenging times following the pandemic.
The community rallied in support for the independent cinema, which has a full-size screen and seats 200 people.
Saffron Screen's business manager Jason Bond said: "We’d like to say a huge thank you to every single person who supported our fundraising efforts.
"The amount of support for the cinema within the community is incredible and shows what an important asset Saffron Screen is to Saffron Walden."
The funds have been immediately put to good use - enabling the cinema to show films closer to their release date, which is more expensive, in a bid to increase audience size.
Saffron Screen will also be improving their refreshments provision with a greater and improved selection, offering a more authentic cinema experience.
They aim to increase ticket sales by investing in additional marketing activities, including a regular podcast discussing upcoming films.
Funds will be used to upgrade some of the cinema's technical equipment, including the ticket system - which now includes the sale of digital gift cards.
The money will cover ongoing training to make sure staff are comfortable with the new upgrades.
Saffron Screen had to close for a month in October 2023 because of broken auditorium seats, which severely affected income, so some of the donated funds were used to pay for the repairs.
Tickets are available from www.saffronscreen.com or from Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre.
You can also view listings on the cinema's website or sign up for their newsletter for weekly film updates.
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Prices for tickets and refreshments are deliberately kept low to encourage sales, and parking is free.
Paul Willmott, chair of Saffron Screen, said: "The cinema is making the valuable donations work incredibly hard.
"As always, the priority remains to increase audience numbers so please do keep visiting the cinema – your support means so much and, of course, you can still make a donation – every pound helps keep Saffron Screen alive!"
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