THE LITTLE PRINCE OPENS ITS SECOND LOCATION IN CAMBRIDGE

Movie lovers in Waterloo Region have a new theatre where they can enjoy their favourite films with the opening of The Little Prince Micro-Cinema in Cambridge on June 5, 2025. A microcinema is an intimate, small-scale movie theatre that showcases independent, experimental, or niche films. Located on the second floor of the Gaslight District above the Collective Arts Bottle Shop, the theatre offers scheduled and private screenings along with a space for events.  

The cinemas in the Gaslight District is the theatre’s second location, joining the original in Stratford that opened in 2021. While the Stratford location currently holds the Guinness World Record for “Smallest purpose-built cinema in operation”, owner and operator Leigh Cooney said earning the award was not part of the plan for the business.   

Prior to starting the microcinema project, Cooney ran a gift shop with a small space that he used as a small gallery. At the time, Cooney was hosting short film competitions for local filmmakers and he decided to put a screen and seating in the gallery space.  

“I was thinking we could add a pull-down screen and a few fold-up chairs so we can host screenings year-round. Then I just kind of got carried away,” Cooney said.  

It was while researching similar sized cinemas and theatres that Cooney learned about the Guinness World Record.   

“It snowballed from there because to qualify for the Guinness record, we had to have a lobby and concession stand and offer public, ticketed events. So, I decided to just jump in and see how it would go,” he said.  

The success of the Stratford location drove the idea of opening a second location.   

“We’re like a restaurant with one table. If someone reserves Saturday at seven o’clock, that’s it. We were constantly turning people away or getting people to book months in advance, which isn’t great,” Cooney said.  

The connection to the Gaslight District team came from an event hosted at the Stratford location.  

“They’re working on another project in Stratford, and they brought their staff in for a movie and loved what we did,” he said.  

Cooney was invited to see the Gaslight District space and said he instantly knew it was the right space.  

The first thing you will notice when walking into The Little Prince Micro-Cinema is that it is exactly what it is, a tiny movie theatre. The theatre’s decor is reminiscent of a theatre from the 1930s, with detailed finishes from the lobby’s concession bar through to the 12-seat theatre.  

“It’s designed to feel intimate, not claustrophobic. Every detail has had a lot of thought put into it,” Cooney said.  

The Little Prince is available for event rentals, from birthday and anniversary parties to corporate team events. The theatre has even hosted a small wedding. Cooney said his goal is to create an environment where people can get together and share the thrill of the big screen in a little space.  

“It’s a community space for people who want to celebrate cinema,” he said. 

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