Hong Kong's only art-house cinema lowered the curtains at its current location for the last time yesterday after 18 years.

The operator of Cine-Art House, the Silver Screen Group (SSG), said it had no choice but to close the cinema because it could not afford to renew the lease.

The twin-theatre cinema on the ground floor of the Sun Hung Kai Centre in Wan Chai showed five recent art-house features from the mainland and five Chinese classics to a capacity audience in its farewell screenings late last week.

Many loyal patrons who were unable to get tickets in advance said they were disappointed and sad they missed out.

But an SSG senior manager said the firm is looking for a suitable location in the same area to reopen the cinema.

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