(Photo: robdownunder, Flickr)
Two dollars from every ticket sold at the vast majority of Australian cinemas on Sunday January 19 will be donated to three charities that are supporting bushfire relief efforts.
The fund-raising campaign will be a collective effort by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, National Association of Cinema Operators, Australian Independent Distributors Association and Independent Cinemas Australia.
“As an industry, we have been deeply saddened, like all Australians and many people around the world, by the bushfires ravaging our country,” they said in a joint statement.
“The loss of lives, wildlife, homes and land is heart-breaking, and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted.
“We send our sincere thanks to all the firefighters, volunteers, defence personnel, charities, organisations and communities who are working tirelessly to protect and support fire-affected Australians. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of those who have donated their time, money and resources.”
Among the new releases next weekend will be Roadshow’s GO!, Universal’s Dolittle, Sony’s Bad Boys for Life, Studiocanal’s Bombshell and Madman’s The Biggest Little Farm.
The recipient charities are:
Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal – providing immediate emotional and material support to firefighters, volunteers and evacuees.
Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery – supporting thousands of people in evacuation centres and recovery hubs across the country.
RSPCA Bushfire Appeal – protecting animals in threatened or affected areas and long-term rescue and rehabilitation efforts.