When Daisy Sapunova joined Cineworld Luton at its opening in 1998 she had little intention of still being there to blow out the candles at its 10th birthday party.

But that's just what the the 30-year-old is doing on Thursday (October 23) as the multiplex celebrates a decade of bringing movies to the town's film fanatics.

Daisy joined Cineworld as a part-time staff member while she was a graphic design student at Luton University.

She said: "I was doing everything - popcorn, cleaning auditoriums, tickets. I enjoyed it so I stayed on after I finished my degree and progressed in the company. I originally had every intention of doing something with my degree but the part-time job led me to fall in love with the industry."

Now she's general manager at the Luton cinema - a job not without its perks.

Cineworld staff get the chance to preview movies to make sure there aren't any problems with the film reels before their seen by the public.

She said: "All the staff came in to see the previews of films like Mamma Mia, the Star Wars films, and Lord of the Rings.

"We recently had Mamma Mia, the sing-a-long version to check - but there weren't many takers as they'd all seen the original Mamma Mia!"
Of course, the flip side is that someone has to sit through every film, no matter how bad they are, to check for quality flaws.

Daisy recalls a Lassie feauture and Babylon ID with Vin Diesel as her most challenging viewing moments.

She said: "I enjoy watching film - and that's why I'm still there. The best film last year was definitely Transformers and my best film overall is The Usual Suspects. I really love Kevin Spacey, he's one of my favourite actors.

For an in-depth behind-the-scenes feature on Cineworld Luton make sure you pick up a copy of this week's Luton News and Dunstable Gazette. It's on sale now, priced just 45p.