Support for the big screen

TWO local cinemas have received a funding from Screen Australia to support them during the state’s fifth lockdown.

The first batch of the Federal Government’s $20 million Supporting Cinemas’ Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods funding delivered $8.7 million to 158 independent cinemas across the country.

Bendigo Cinema has received $85,000, while Star Cinema in Eaglehawk has received $35,000.

Business manager at Star Cinema Martin Myles said the funding will help support the cinema staff during this “very tough time”.

“We’re scoping out different options we have to use the money for, partly it will be used to support general operating of the cinema and support and retaining staff and more of the operational situations.”

Mr Myles said the funding will also support the cinema as it looks to establish their own annual, themed film festival.

“This will give us the resources to explore that in a more substantial way,” he said. “We’ve been looking to establish an Eaglehawk film festival for a few years.

“It will be a different type of film festival and something that belongs to Eaglehawk. We’re aware of the fact that we’re in Eaglehawk’s former town hall and we’d like to use this as an annual event to bridge the gap with the local community.”

Mr Myles said it can take about a month for Star Cinema to become profitable after lockdowns, due to public confusion over whether the cinema is open.

“After the last lockdown we only started to become profitable after about four weeks,” he said. “We had just seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and we’ve been hit by the sledgehammer again.

“I, like many people in my position I’m sure at the moment are extraordinarily fatigued but this lockdown ping pong we’re playing at the moment.”