A space oddity: No place in Shropshire's multiplexes for Kubrick's masterpiece

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was re-released this month by the British Film Institute, 46 years after it first opened.

But none of Shropshire's three multiplexes – the Odeon and Cineworld in Telford and Cineworld in Shrewsbury, – will be showing the film during its nationwide run.

The movers and shakers in Shropshire's creative industries have learned to think big.

Though the county may be relatively diminutive in terms of its population, it boasts one of the UK's most culturally-engaged communities.

It has more arts centres, festivals and community activities than many of the UK's larger counties and boroughs. Locals have an intelligent understanding of national and international culture and Shropshire's place within it.

Not that those facts seem to strike a chord with the region's largest cinemas. They have decided not to screen one of the most iconic films of all time, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which has been re-released by the British Film Institute 46 years after its debut. The county's three multiplexes seem to think there would be insufficient demand for the title and it will be conspicuous by its absence.

Happily, Shropshire's independent cinemas take a more enlightened view and the film will be shown at KinoKulture in Oswestry and the Old Market Hall Cinema. The judgement of bigger cinemas has been called into question before, most notably when the Oscar-winning movie The Artist was snubbed.

Instead, film fans will have to visit KinoKulture in Oswestry on December 27 or the Old Market Hall Cinema in Shrewsbury on January 15.

Odeon Cinemas was unavailable to comment today, but Nadia Niazi, spokeswoman for Cineworld, said: "Unfortunately 2001: A Space Odyssey is on limited release and as such will not be showing at Cineworld Telford or Cineworld Shrewsbury."

It's not the first time the county has missed out on big screen films, with Oscar-winning silent movie The Artist also snubbed by Odeon Telford.

But Ian Garland, director of KinoKulture, said he was delighted to be showing 2001.

"It deserves to be seen on the big screen," he said. "It has one of the best writers and directors in Kubrick, so it deserves to be seen in all its glory. We were very keen to show it. And we are also hoping to screen a few other sci-fi classics in the new year."

Mr Garland recalled trying to see the film when he was 14, but his local cinema would not show it.

So Mr Garland and a friend organised their own screening for one night only, which the cinema agreed to do, and it sold out.

Pip Bayley, spokesman for The Old Market Hall cinema, said: "We are really excited to be showing both Blade Runner and 2001 as part of the BFI's Days of Fear and Wonder season.

"Tickets are already selling well and we expect both screenings to sell out."

The British Film Industry (BFI) said film bookings were down to individual cinemas.

Emma Hewitt, spokeswoman for the BFI, said: "Readers who are keen to see the film in cinemas locally may want to get in touch with their local cinema and encourage the programmers there to book the film from the BFI distribution team."

The film will be screened – elsewhere – until January.