THE future is looking £20,000 brighter for Bridport's Electric Palace Cinema.

Enthusiasm for a long-running project to reopen the building, that closed its doors in 1999, has has led to the grant from the UK Film Council.

The new refurbished Palace is due to open its doors again before the end of the year.

Cash from the film council will go towards the cost of restoring the existing 35mm projector and putting in a new DVD projector and sound system.

Cinema owner Peter Hitchin said it was the rejuvenation of the Electric Palace as a multi-purpose venue for cinema, theatre and music that swayed the film council.

He said the grant reflects the belief that the restored Electric Palace will bring substantial benefits to the local community.

Mr Hitchin said: "The restoration work is well under way but that there is still much to do.

"When it is completed, later this year, we will have a cinema and a venue that Bridport can be proud of.

"Before it closed we had a building in which you could only really do one thing - watch a film. In the restored venue you will be able to spend a whole evening, eating, drinking, dancing, watching a film or a cabaret, listening to music of all types - any number of things.

"I hope that it will benefit Bridport in many ways, by serving the community, by bringing exciting acts to town and by attracting increased tourism. I am delighted that we have the support of the UK Film Council and hope that we can look forward to more support from the local council."

The Palace Cinema closed on Saturday March 27, 1999 just five days after the screening of the final film in Bridport Film Society's 34th season.

The last film shown on the big screen was Aki Kaurismki's film Drifting Clouds 'a warm, comical and optimistic tribute to the human spirit'.