Cambridgeshire born actor Himesh Patel is coming to Ely Cinema next Wednesday (September 11) for Babylon ARTS’ screening of Yesterday – Danny Boyle’s hit film, which stars Himesh alongside Lily James.

Himesh, who made a short film to help raise awareness of the Save Ely Cinema campaign (£11,000 has already been raised towards a £17,000 target), will be at The Maltings to meet audience members and take part in a Q&A session.

Himesh said: "It's great to hear how well the appeal has gone so far. Independent cinemas are really important for our stories to reach as wide an audience as possible."

Claire Somerville, chief executive of Babylon ARTS, said: "Having Himesh's support means a lot to us and we're delighted he is coming to our cinema to share more about the making of Yesterday. "It's such a great opportunity for film fans across Ely and beyond.

"And we are so thankful to all the people who have donated to our Save Ely Cinema campaign so far. We smashed our first milestone of £3,000, which meant we had the funds to renew our warranty and maintenance contract for the projector.

"We're continuing to fundraise for the cinema, whilst we work on increasing the number of people who regularly attend."

Tickets for the event are already on sale, at the usual cinema price, online at www.babylonarts.org.uk, in person at the Babylon Gallery or by calling 01353 616991.