March 3 (UPI) -- An Ontario, Canada, movie theater that seats only 13 people was certified by Guinness World Records as the globe's smallest purpose-built cinema.
The Little Prince Micro-Cinema in Stratford opened its doors in October 2021 and is styled after a miniature Victorian theater with red carpeting, tiered seating and velvet ropes.
Leigh Cooney, the theater's owner and operator, said the site formerly was a gallery and gift shop called Meet Your Maker, and the micro-cinema began as a pull-down screen and some folding chairs to show local filmmakers' works.
"We started working with local filmmakers, doing little competitions around town, and we thought, 'Well, how great would it be if we built a screening room permanently?'" Cooney told Global News.
Cooney said the theater's focus is hosting small parties and private functions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The theater was officially awarded the Guinness World Record for smallest purpose-built cinema when the facility was officially measured at 175.36 square feet.
"It's really very rewarding to earn this recognition," Cooney told The Stratford Beacon Herald after announcing the Guinness World Record.
"We may be small, but we're having a huge impact with those people who are looking for a safe and unique alternative to traditional movie theaters."
