THE community cinema group Okehampton Moving Pictures has secured funding for a part-time co-ordinator to assist in its development by taking the project to outlying villages and working with young people. And the group says the average audience for the films it shows is almost 40, and is growing. Critics of the town council?s proposal to convert the market hall into a modern cinema have questioned the viability of the scheme. They point to the fact comparatively few people used to attend the Carlton Cinema before it closed, a trend they say has continued with the community cinema. But Ewen Rae of Okehampton Moving Pictures said that since the project was launched, a total of just over 1,100 cinema-goers have been to see the 28 films which have been shown in Okehampton. This means the average attendance for a Moving Pictures film show is 39. Mr Rae said bearing in mind some of these films were not mainstream releases, he felt this was a healthy figure. He said the most successful film had been Nanny McPhee which attracted more than 100 cinemagoers, while the recent Wallace and Gromit film had attracted an audience of 75, which was the best of all the matinee screenings the group had held. Mr Rae said: ?Audiences have been growing over the last six months and we have been well supported. ?We might expect to see audiences drop back somewhat over the summer months as people have other things to do.? The new part-time co-ordinator?s role will involve increasing opportunities to develop what Moving Pictures offers. Okehampton Moving Pictures will also be showing films in the Octagon Theatre at Okehampton College, which has recently had new seats fitted. The group says it will work with the college in providing film shows both for the students and the whole community. OMP are looking towards May for their first public performance in the Octagon and are keen to work with the college to make, encourage and show films made by college students. The part time co-ordinator will focus on these two areas; developing cinema for young people in conjunction with the college and taking films out to village halls. The group says it has already had a good response from the villages, with around ten expressing an interest in hosting film screenings in their village halls. Ladies in Lavender (12) is being screened at Sampford Courtenay Village Hall, tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm. OMP is made up of volunteers who give their time and energy free of charge to the project.