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QUEENSLAND Wynnum Melbourne
Cairns Brisbane City Council has approved a Movies returned to the Regent Theatre on 2
EVENT Cinemas permanently closed its Cairns $30 million development on Berrima Street. August with the opening program of the
City site in July. An email went out to Cinebuzz The eight story residential tower will Melbourne International Film Festival. A
Members, citing the “difficult decision” was incorporate office and retail space, as well as a capacity audience were in attendance for the
“based on our strong commitment to keep seven cinema complex. The operator of the opening night, which featured the premier of
reinvesting in our other venues”. complex has not be divulged. Paul Dano’s Wildlife. �
Source: Brisbane Times Source: http://miff.com.au

VICTORIA
The timing was impeccable. Following the
recent article on Chinese Cinema in Melbourne
(CR #98), Screen Australia announced on
29 June 2018, the largest Australian-Chinese
film production in Victoria’s history!
Filming of The Whistleblower will commence
Event Cinemas operate three other sites in at Melbourne’s Docklands Studio before
Cairns at Earlville, Cairns Central and proceeding to locations in Melbourne, Geelong,
Smithfield. The Grafton St site, which has been Dandenong, Footscray, Werribee and the Ballarat
screening movies for 45 years, ceased operating Latrobe Valley at the de-commissioned The fight to save the historic Her Majesty’s
after the last session on Wednesday, 18 July. Hazlewood Power Station. Theatre which opened in 1875 continues. The
Movies have been played at the city location City of Ballarat is currently lobbying the state
since the Odeon Cinema opened in 1973. Screen Australia reports that 220 employment and federal governments for an additional
Source: The Cairns Post, July 2, 2018. opportunities will be created for local screen $15 million to carry out repairs, make
★ workers and benefits will flow to about 800 improvements and modernise facilities.
Victorian businesses. The film is expected to
Red Hill contribute approximately $40 million to Many of Australia’s most eminent performers,
Reading Cinemas is taking Brisbane brothers, Victoria’s economy. Ausfilm, with the support including David Hobson, Jacqui Dark and John
Peter and Stephen Sourris, to court to stop them of the Australian Embassy Beijing, attracted the Bell have added their voices to calls to protect
building a boutique cinema in Brisbane’s old film production to Australia. Director the theatre.
Red Hill skate arena. The US-owned Reading XueXiaolu and lead actor Jiayin Lei both Ballarat Courier 19 July 2018
Cinemas runs the nearby Reading Newmarket attended the recent launch at Docklands Studio.
cinema. Reading’s plan has angered Red Hill
and Paddington residents. The Sourris’ have The Whistleblower is the story of a Chinese SOUTH AUSTRALIA
previously redeveloped the New Farm Twin expat working in Australia who discovers that Warooka
and Elizabeth boutique cinemas. a new technology developed by his employer Movies are back at Warooka (Yorke
has significant safety concerns. His stealthy Peninsula) after almost a 50 year intermission.
The Sourris Brothers want to restore the Red investigations reveal a larger corporate The local Progress Association has achieved
Hill building to its former glory, with five conspiracy. one of its goals by returning movies to the
cinemas. They have decided on a "retro and Warooka Town Hall.
edgy" design, created by Brisbane architect Co-productions typically make economic sense.
James Davidson, which will incorporate the As Arclight’s Australian CEO, Greg Hamilton, Films screening in Warooka go right back to
building's graffiti to preserve its history. points out, “most Australian films cannot be 1908, when they were shown at the Warooka
sustainable without exporting.” Furthermore, a Institute Hall. The silent films were accom-
The former open-air cinema complex was co-production is not restricted by China’s strict panied on piano by a local pianist.
known as the Red Hill Picture Pops in the foreign film import quotas and its foreign Source: Yorke Peninsula Country Times 5.6.2018
1920s before becoming the State Theatre in backers may derive a higher percentage of the
the 1940s. Chinese box-office takings than they would Contributors: Colin Flint, Tony Tibballs, Roderick
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald – 29 June 2018 otherwise receive. Smith, Royce Harris, Cameron Hall.

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