cinéSARNIA has featured over 300 films since 1996, back when we were The Centre By The Bay’s “cinéSeries”. So, for our 30th Anniversary, we thought this would be a perfect time to put on a party to celebrate our long history of bringing quality films to the Sarnia area.

Set aside the dates of April 10 and 11 for some exciting events in addition to our final regular film of the season “Little Lorraine” (April 12/13).

We have just confirmed the two films to be presented at our 30th Anniversary Celebration!

On the Friday evening at 7:00 pm, we are featuring a smart, funny, time-bending satire, “Nirvanna: The Band - The Show - The Movie”. Follow these wannabe musicians who just want to headline at their favourite club. How far “back to the future” will they go? It’s a clever, Canadian time-travel cult comedy that blends nostalgia, self-mockery, and absurdity into an unexpectedly reflective portrait of friendship and unrealized dreams. By the way, it’s not THAT Seattle band. 😉 Following the film, enjoy some “Coffee and Conversation” in the lobby with water, coffee, and desserts.

On Saturday afternoon, join us at our reception at Tang’s China House for cocktails/mocktails, appetizers, and a trivia contest. Then we will move down to the Library Theatre lobby to continue the conversation, enjoying water, coffee, and desserts.

At 6:30 pm, we are presenting “Nuremberg”, starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malek. It’s a gripping moral showdown—where justice itself is put on trial. As the Nuremberg trials are set to begin, a U.S. Army psychiatrist gets locked in a dramatic psychological duel with accused Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring.

Tickets for these films will be available soon at a special price of $10 each, in advance online or in cash at the door that night.

Tickets for the reception are now available to purchase at our desk before our next three films on Sundays & Mondays, until the March 22/23 film, “Once Upon My Mother”.

The Book Keeper will also sell reception tickets for us at their Northgate Plaza store. Please patronize our long standing donator of many of our door prizes. They also are the sponsor for our documentary “The Librarian”, showing on March 1/2. Fantastic!

Buy your tickets for the reception for $30. Bring cash only. This will include the Celebration get-together at Tang’s China House, appetizers, and a movie trivia contest. A cash bar will be available. Our winning cocktail/mocktail will be featured.

Things will get rolling at Tang’s on Saturday, April 11 from 3 pm to 5 pm. Bone up on your movie lore for our Trivia Contest. Check out our Film Archives to see what films we have shown over the past 30 years. It will come in handy.

Here is an outline of the events:

And don’t forget our last film of the regular Winter 2026 season “Little Lorraine” is happening right after on Sunday and Monday (April 12/13).

It’s a Canadian crime drama based on true events in the 1980s, where desperate miners in a small Cape Breton, Nova Scotia fishing village get involved in an international cocaine smuggling operation, using coffins to hide the drugs, all while pursued by an Interpol agent.

Our team loved this film so much, we negotiated to bring it to our audience before its official release. You will be one of the first general audiences to view this film.

All recipes will be accepted up to our first screening in March, when our panel will review the entries and select the winning creation. The chosen cocktail/mocktail will debut at our 30th Anniversary Gala and be featured throughout the evening, giving its creator full bragging rights and a place in our club’s history. So, start experimenting, get inspired, and raise a glass to three decades of independent film in our community. Cheers to 30 years!

Here are the films we have left in the Winter 2026 series:

February 8/9 - Köln 75
March 1/2 - The Librarians
March 22/23 - Once Upon My Mother
April 12/13 - Little Lorraine

To honour all of our films over the past 30 years, we have compiled a list of each film that we have ever presented, in an easy to use reference app called “Letterboxd”. The poster for each film is shown and you can click them for more details. There are many options for listing them by year and decade.

Go to our website, under Films and click ”cinéSARNIA Film Archives”. Here you will find a treasure trove of cinema memories. Please check it out to get prepared for our 30th Anniversary Gala. (hint 😉)

Although we bring to Sarnia some great films that you would normally not get here otherwise, the other theatres in the area at times have some winners that we don’t want to show if they will be showing them too. But we don’t want you to miss out on them.

Here below are a few films that we would like to encourage you to attend that are playing locally, at the Kineto Theatre in Forest for select dates below and Cineplex Galaxy Cinemas Sarnia this week at various times:

Kineto Theatre - 24 King St W, Forest

Cineplex Galaxy Sarnia - Lambton Mall, 1380 London Rd, Sarnia

Visit the above theatre links to view more details and to order tickets online if you wish. Click the film titles for reviews. Ensure that you confirm dates and times with those theatres. They are always subject to change.

We hoped that you enjoyed the 9-time Oscar nominated film, Sentimental Value. Make sure to mark on your calendar Sunday, March 15. The Oscars will be broadcast on ABC at 7:00 pm. Tune in and enjoy the night.

cinéSARNIA has been a long time sponsor of the Celebration of Youth program, of which the proceeds from your passes and tickets allows us to provide assistance. One of our past award winners was 2026 Oscar nominee, Andreas Mendritski!

This year cinéSARNIA is sponsoring the Creative / Performing Arts Award in the Skills Development & Creative Expression category. If you know of a deserving youth that could benefit from the program, encourage them to apply. Deadline is March 24.

Applications are now open and can be found on the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario website at: https://www.ymcaswo.ca/coy-sarnia-awards

Many of our subscribers are enjoying the opportunity to chat about the films they’ve seen at cinéSARNIA while savouring a coffee and pastry at Coffee Culture. With your pass or ticket, you will also receive a 15% discount (Front/Lochiel Street location ONLY).