A guide to which cinemas are reopening in Melbourne and when.
As of midnight Sunday November 8, cinemas are permitted to reopen to the public and after spending the majority of 2020 in shutdown mode, Melbourne’s beloved movie theatres are firing up the popcorn machines and projectors at last. As has become the new normal in COVID times, bookings will be essential, capacity will be capped, social distancing will be enforced and increased hygiene measures will be in place, but hey, it sure beats being stuck at home. Here’s a rundown of when your favourite theatres will be reopening and what they’ll be playing.
Cinema Nova
Having spent most of the lockdown period awaiting a green light from Dan Andrews, Carlton’s Cinema Nova was ready and eager to fling its doors open on Monday November 9. The Nova program is stacked with over 25 new releases as well as a bunch of films whose runs were cut short by lockdown, including Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder; Australian dramedy Rams; Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending sci-fi thriller Tenet and more. Plus, with COVID-19 delaying production and filming this year, Nova will fill the sparse 2020/21 release schedule with six Australian features to support the local film industry and showcase some local uncovered gems.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Cinema Nova website.
Palace Cinemas
Palace Cinemas will welcome customers to its Balwyn, Como, Westgarth, The Astor, Kino, Dendy Brighton and Brighton Bay theatres on Thursday November 12, with tickets already on sale. They’ll be screening a massive selection of exciting releases over the coming weeks, too, including the likes of the Academy Award-nominated Polish drama Corpus Christi; the Broadway show-cum-Spike Lee-directed documentary David Byrne’s American Utopia; and the brand-new reboot of Roald Dahl’s classic, The Witches.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Palace Cinemas website.
Village Cinemas
After eight long months of forced-closure, Village Cinemas is inviting cinephiles to bask in the warm glow of silver screens across all 17 of its Victorian locations – not including Coburg Drive-In, which reopened late last month – from Thursday November 12. The program includes a mix of classics, including A Nightmare on Elm Street and Pulp Fiction, and new releases, such as body-swap thriller Freaky and Bill & Ted Face the Music, which needs no introduction.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Village Cinemas website.
Thornbury Picture House
Reopening on Wednesday November 11, Thornbury Picture House has already sold-out several sessions. An independent theatre passionate about Australian film, Thornbury Picture House will relaunch with the heart-wrenching Aussie coming-of-age dramedy Babyteeth, as well as celebrating NAIDOC Week with a special screening of the 1983 Stolen Generations documentary Lousy Little Sixpence. They’ve also put together a special program of live music films for all us music-loving Melburnians desperately missing gigs, including Idiot Prayer – Nick Cave Alone at Alexandra Palace, Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold The Concert and Prince’s Sign ‘O The Times.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Thornbury Picture House website.
Sun Theatre
Yarraville’s art-deco cinema, Sun Theatre, was so excited to be back in action that it hosted three special midnight screenings on Sunday night to mark the exact moment restrictions lifted on cinemas. They’ll officially reopen on Wednesday November 11 with a program including Radioactive, a film documenting Marie Curie’s scientific breakthroughs and legacy; Slim & I, a documentary following the life and musical partnership of Slim Dusty and Joy McKean; thriller The Mutants, based on the MARVEL comic series of the same name; and more.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Sun Theatre website.
Classic Cinemas
Elsternwick’s Classic Cinemas is back, baby! As are its sister theatres, Hawthorn’s Lido Cinemas and Belgrave’s Cameo Cinemas, as of today. As always, there’s a huge spread of mainstream and arthouse picks on the menu, including Miranda July’s Kajillionaire, the Seth Rogan-starring An American Pickle, and the semi-autobiographical horror Shirley. And with summer so close you can taste it, there’s no better time to hit the Classic Rooftop Cinema for a special sunset screening.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the Classic Cinemas website.
IMAX
You’ll have to wait a little longer to catch a flick at IMAX, which is set to reopen on Thursday November 19, but with the largest cinema screen in the world and an earth-rumbling sound system, your patience will certainly be worthwhile. IMAX will welcome back movie-goers with two special screenings of Tenet to provide the visceral, immersive viewing experience Christopher Nolan intended. The coming weeks will also bring screenings of Michael Jordan To The Max, 1988 anime classic Akira and Wonder Woman 1984.
Check out the full program and book your tickets at the IMAX website.
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