Pancake Studios opens its doors on Limestone Road

On a cold February evening, 107 Limestone Road filled up with over 300 filmmakers, podcasters, musicians, and industry veterans. The doors are open, and Pancake Studios is officially part of North Belfast’s story.

Together with local producers

Not only was there live music from the amazing The Living Groove, local short films playing on the big screen on the studio floor, and a live podcast running, but it was all made better with our local beverage sponsors. McIvors cider, Suki Tea, McConnell’s Whiskey and Ri Ra Lager, kept the crowd watered, while The Grateful Bread made sure their stomachs were lined.

Finally made it

It has taken the better part of a year to turn the building into what it is now: a 10,000 sq ft film studio, a podcast room that sounds as good as it looks, a rehearsal space, a meeting room, and a co-working floor for the people who hold productions together between shoots.

A room for every stage of the story

The thinking behind the building is simple. A film starts as a conversation, becomes a script, gets rehearsed, gets shot, gets cut, and gets talked about afterwards. Most of that work happens in borrowed rooms. We wanted one address where the whole arc can live.

• The Film Studio — ready for sets, lights, cameras.
• The Podcast Studio — treated, tuned, and broadcast-ready.
• The Rehearsal Space — for blocking, table reads, and band practice.
• The Meeting Room — pitches, production meetings, quiet deals.
• Co-Working Desks — To turn the daily freelance grind into collaborative projects.

Our Island punches well above it’s weight when it comes to visual storytelling, yet the powers that be don’t act like our homegrown talent are worth investing in.

Christian, founder

What happens next

Bookings are live for every room, memberships are open, and the first productions are already on the calendar. If you came to the party — thank you. If you missed it, the hot water tap is at hand for a cuppa when you get here.

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