In a bid to keep cinema doors open for the foreseeable future, the federal government has awarded the Regent Cinema Central Ballarat a one-off grant of $85,000 to help facilitate its recovery from disruption wrought by the pandemic.
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The cinema is one of 125 independent cinemas around Australia to share in the $20 million fund established last year to lend financial support to the arts and entertainment sector.
For two years, COVID-19 restrictions have forced cinemas to either close or operate subject to strict caps on patron numbers, rendering a significant decline in revenue close to inevitable.
The bottom-line of cinemas was also hit by the slow-down in Hollywood releases, as pandemic restrictions globally took their toll, as well as the decision by studios to bypass cinemas and instead release films through streaming services.
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the grant would enable the cinema to transition to "normal operations as COVID-19 restrictions ease".
"I'm pleased to announced Regent Cinema Ballarat Central have been approved for an $85,000 grant as part of the [federal] government's $20 million SCREEN Fund," she said.
"This funding will enable them to recover from severe disruption that has largely impacted their revenue streams."
The grant comes on the heels of a recently released report by A New Approach - an independent think-tank funded by philanthropic foundations including those of the Myer family, Andrew Forrest and Sarah Benjamin - which found investment in the arts in Australia continued to lag behind the major world economies.
It also follows sustained criticism levelled at the federal government over the course of the pandemic from the arts sector for not affording it the same level of government support as other sectors.
SCREEN Fund applications are open until 30 April 2022 or until total funds are committed.
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