10 Mar 2022

Screen fund grant for Wallis │ Adelaide Hills Herald

By ALEXANDRA BULL

$60,000 has been awarded to the Wallis Mount Barker Cinema under the first set of grants from the second round of the $20 million Supporting Cinema’s Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods (SCREEN) Fund.

Senator for South Australia Andrew McLachlan said the latest grants would allow independent cinema operators to continue providing popular entertainment for families.

“I am incredibly pleased to announce that the Wallis Mount Barker Cinema has received $60,000 as part of the federal government’s $20 million SCREEN Fund,” Andrew said.

“Wallis Cinemas is an iconic South Australian, family-owned business that is highly respected across our community for its commitment to the arts and the South
Australian film industry.”

Andrew said that the cinema business has been especially hard hit during the pandemic, so it is critical that people support local and independent cinemas like Wallis who provide hundreds of South Australians with jobs.

“I encourage everyone to see a film as this will support local jobs at Wallis Cinemas as well as Australian film productions,” Andrew said.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Paul Fletcher MP said a total of 125 independent cinemas across the country would receive a share of $7.3 million from the latest round of SCREEN Fund grants to support their resurgence following the Covid-19 disruption.

“Independent cinemas are a vital component of Australia’s economic, social and cultural wellbeing, which is why we continue to provide one-off business continuity grants to support the cinemas resurgence from prolonged closures and capacity restrictions,” Paul said.

“The federal government has committed $17.7 million to date from the SCREEN Fund to support 200 independent cinemas across the country, to keep their doors open, continue offering employment opportunities and carry on showcasing diverse stories to entertain their communities.”

Administered by Screen Australia, the government announced a second round of the SCREEN Fund in December 2021 to support independent cinema operators with grants up to $85,000 if they have experienced significant declines in revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic.