Melbourne's Cinema Nova, the Eddie Tamir family-owned cinemas and Village Cinemas' Coburg drive-in will re-open next month - but indications are that most cinemas in other states are unlikely to turn on the lights until July.
Argy-bargy between distributors and exhibitors is as old as the cinema itself – but tensions have been rising in some quarters in the era of digital projection.
Drive-in cinemas in Adelaide and Heddon Greta near Newcastle resumed trading last Friday, drawing big crowds, as a survey of more than 20,000 Australians showed 98 per cent look forward to cinemas re-opening.
Writer-director Luke Sparke’s 'Occupation' launched on 17 screens last week, sparking dozens of complaints from people around Australia who can’t see the alien invasion thriller.
The Jacobson brothers’ blackly comic crime drama 'Brother’s Nest', which was partly funded by exhibitors, had a quiet opening last weekend.
Sasha Close, one of Australia's most respected exhibitors, has resigned as national programming manager at Wallis Cinemas after 16 years with the Adelaide-based company.
It's the end of an era in the Australian screen industry with the departures of Jo Bladen, Disney’s general manager, studios and live entertainment, and Marc Wooldridge, Fox Film Distributors MD for Australasia.
“If as an industry we think we can rest on our laurels and young people will continue to go to the cinema without offering them a great experience we are sadly mistaken.”