The Pivotonian celebrates 10 years with top award

INDEPENDENT cinema The Pivotonian has this month been crowned the nation’s best regional cinema by the Australian Independent Distributors Association.

The prestigious accolade comes as the boutique cinema celebrates 10 years since its inception.

Cinema owner Jessica Litsas said the award had come as a “massive surprise” but served as “gratifying recognition” for what the team has been trying to achieve with the business.

“It has certainly inspired me to maintain the business for another 10 years.

“We’ve certainly become part of the fabric of Geelong’s cultural landscape, and I really want to just keep being a high-quality product.

“Hopefully this award has given us enough opportunity to get the name out there again for the people that know of us and have maybe just forgotten, or been too busy to attend, but also for people new to Geelong that haven’t even heard of us yet.”

She attributes the cinema’s success to the individuality of the programming that is on offer and the uniqueness of the service The Pivotonian team provides.

“We treat all of our guests like it’s Gold Class,” Ms Litsas said.

“It really is a different experience to going to a big multiplex where you don’t have that one-on-one customer service and luxury feel.

“I think that’s what mainly brings out clientele back over and over again.”

The Pivotonian was first established in 2014 as a six-month pop-up in the Ukrainian Community Hall on Pakington Street, before a successful crowdfunding campaign allowed the operation to find a permanent home in South Geelong.

Ms Litsas acknowledged that the business’s 10-year milestone was a “massive achievement”, especially in the context of ongoing turbulence for the industry.

“It’s great to see that after COVID and after all the actors and writers strikes in the States that the industry is bouncing back in a strong way for the busiest time of year.

“I just think that the business model we’ve got going just proves that people want us to be in Geelong – they’re supporting us – and I think that they’re going to continue to do that for another 10 years.”

Ms Litsas said a busy summer season was now ahead for the award-winning cinema, with a massive line-up of films scheduled for release.

“It’s going to be a fantastic season. I’m very excited,” she said.

“It’s a great mix of diverse foreign content, all the way through to more independent art house American releases, and some fantastic kids’ stuff too.

“I’m really excited about Paddington in Peru and Magic Beach – Alison Lester’s famous children’s book has been adapted into a film and being set in Victoria, I think that we’ll have a lot of people travelling to come up and see it from the Surf Coast as well.”

For more information, head to pivotcinema.com.au