Welcome to Aussiewood

Carolyn Wearne

General Manager, Media - QLD

Through the years, cinema has remained an Australian cultural constant. It’s proved to be resilient in tough economic times, through the introduction of TV and the digital disruption of streaming. So, you could say, by the time a global pandemic arrived last year, cinema, while bruised like every other industry, was well prepared to once again come out swinging.

Aussies love movies. There has always been interest in the escapism and immersion, ever since the first motion pictures arrived in Australia in the mid-1890s. First run on the Edison Kinetoscope, in a converted shop at 148 Pitt Street, Sydney, customers paid a shilling to view films one person at a time. From the beginning, we were fixated on this new way of storytelling, with 22,000 Aussies getting their first taste of movies within the first five weeks that this new concept was available.

By 1900 the foundations of a film industry in Australia had been laid and cinema had become the most popular form of entertainment. Here’s something to really put that into context. In 1921, cinema made the largest contribution to entertainment tax receipts in that year, with 68 million admissions compared to less than 16 million for the next two most popular activities combined – live theatre and the horse races.

Despite all that’s happened in the last year, the love Aussies have for the shared cinema experience has remained. If anything, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns only emphasised this. A 2020 survey by Event Cinemas undertaken in the midst of COVID-19 showed that of over 20,000 active cinema-goers, 94% of respondents intended to visit the cinema just as frequently, if not more often, than they did pre-pandemic.

We saw similar themes in our research into The Great Escapers, with this valuable returning cinema audience missing the immersion, atmosphere and connection with others that cinema uniquely provides.

We have already seen that when content is there, Aussies want to come to the movies. Over summer, cinema was well and truly back on track, with weekly average admits topping 1,000,000 and hitting the highest cinema audience levels since February 2020.

The Dry

It has been Australian stories leading this Box Office charge, with two very strong local movies releasing over December and January. The Dry, starring Eric Bana had the fifth-highest Australian opening day for a local film in history. It has been seen by over 900,000 people so far, as more Aussies head back to that familiar cinema experience.

Naomi Watts and her film Penguin Bloom, which she also co-produced is on its way to $10m. A tale based on the true story of Sam Bloom, the movie was filmed in Australia, even down to the actual house of Sam Bloom, whose experience the movie is based on.

This trend has continued, with four of the top five movies last week being Aussie productions. Joel Pearlman, chief executive of Roadshow which distributes The Dry and Penguin Bloom believes the numbers reflect the Aussie appreciation of quality local films. He said, “If there’s any doubt that Australian audiences want to support great stories, you only need to look at what’s going on in cinemas. This is not a one-off. It will happen more and more regularly.”

Penguin Bloom

Over the course of national and state lockdowns, Aussies have had their fair share of ‘forced’ in home media experiences. We’ve all watched movies at home but we know it’s not the same. Try as you might to recreate the cinema experience, your kids want food, the neighbour is doing weekend DIY and before you know it, you’re scrolling through your phone or pressing pause completely. There’s no anticipation or sense of indulgence that the big screen offers in spades.

With valuable audiences craving the immersion and escape that only the cinema experience provides, national admissions continue to gain momentum and exceed forecasts.

Cinemas have long delivered an unrivalled shared social and cultural experience. It is not just about watching a movie. It is the whole experience. And one that Australian exhibitors continue to invest in. As experiences such as Event Cinemas Gold Glass, Palace Platinum and HOYTS Xtremescreen continue to bring the crowds in-cinema, exhibitors are also looking at new and innovative ways to offer something new. The success of Drive-Ins, Moonlight Cinema and Mov’in Boat over summer have been testament to this and further showed the power of the shared experience.

Cinema is now, more than ever, a fundamental part of Australian culture. It brings people together. Similar to the Tourism Australia ‘Holiday Here This Year’ campaign, now is the time to support our cinemas, both indoor and outdoor, and get re-acquainted with that great place for immersion, escape and indulgence. Just as we’ve seen with The Dry and Penguin Bloom, it’s time for us to champion our stories, our beautiful and unique locations and our Aussie talent.

As Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly said, “There will be no shortage of locally made features for audiences who have rediscovered the diversity and originality of our local screen industry.”

All in all, 2021 is looking positive for the cinema industry.

We’ve entered the year in a strong position and that's really encouraging for us, as it flows into a range of positive effects for brands. Cinema is a powerful AV channel centred on showstopping, blockbuster content in a premium, distraction-free environment. It always has been and always will be the most powerful AV platform for brands to tell their story and truly connect with consumers, while consistently delivering results in driving key brand metrics of consideration, preference and intent.

The key to its success? Aussies want to be there. They’re in an open and positive mind-set with no distractions. Since the Edison Kinetoscope arrived in that small shop on Pitt Street, Aussies have loved movies and that just won’t change.