Lorne Theatre to keep screening with SCREEN grant

THE Lorne Theatre will keep its silver screen up and running via a Supporting Cinemas’ Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods (SCREEN) Fund grant from the federal government.

The cinema, operated by Great Ocean Road Cinemas and located in Mountjoy Parade, will get $35,000 from the SCREEN Fund, which was announced in March to support independent cinema operators who have experienced significant declines in revenue due to COVID-19.

Administered by Screen Australia, the $20 million fund is providing one-off grants of between $35,000 and $85,000 dependent on reported box office revenue for that cinema location during the pre-COVID period between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020.

Speaking to local radio last week, federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and Member for Wannon Dan Tehan said the funding was great news for the Lorne Theatre.

“Obviously our cinemas have been hit really hard by COVID-19 and we want to make sure that they can continue to open as they come out of this pandemic so we can get back to doing the things we love, like going and watching a really good movie.

“There’s a fund which the government has set up to make sure our cinemas are ready to go when they can, and the $35,000 will help Lorne’s cinema and ensure that it can be there when we come out of the pandemic, to make sure that families and visitors can go to the movies and see those films.”

Lorne Theatre screens between two and three new release films each day and is presently closed as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown across the Surf Coast, but plans to resume its advertised programming when the seven days of restrictions end on September 27.