A film group has announced a free screening of a Hitchcock documentary to celebrate the result of a public inquiry which it hopes moves it a step closer to reopening a defunct cinema.

The McGuffin Film Society will show the ‘Alfred Hitchcock in East London’ documentary in O’Neill’s pub in High Road, Leytonstone on Saturday after the government decided the former EMD Cinema would better serve the community as an entertainment venue rather than a church.

McGuffin spokesman Bill Hodgson said: “This event is taking place to thank everyone in the borough who has supported the campaign to save the EMD Cinema and is a great opportunity to celebrate the area’s unique legacy as the birthplace of the world’s most renowned film director.”

The Universal Church for the Kingdom of God (UCKG) had its appeal to overturn Waltham Forest Council’s decision to turn down its plans to convert the site into a church rejected by the government’s planning inspectorate a fortnight ago.

And now campaigners have urged the church to sell the site in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, after buying it in 2002 only to have a number of bids to turn it into a religious venue rejected.

The council has said it would make a compulsory purchase order if the UCKG does not sell up, and would sell the venue on to Waltham Forest Cinema Trust, which would turn it into a cinema and comedy venue.

The free screening starts at 5pm and runs as part of the council’s ‘Love Your High Streets’ campaign.