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• Index of previous editions of Newsreel
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March 2002
From their website, Suburbia state: "Suburbia is the largest and longest running free public access system in Australia. It has been running for over ten years, and been a live Internet system since 1993, before the Internet was commercially viable. While other similar sites forged their way into money making ventures, we have stuck to the grass roots approach to the Internet, offering a private and secure system that supports community groups and electronic self publishing. Suburbia is a non-profit system and advocates free press. We receive no government funding and currently exist based on the generosity of the members who make non-obligatory contributions of time and equipment." The CATHS website first went online on 27 April 1997, and since that time to 1st March 2002, was hosted by Vicnet, who provide free disk space on their web server for non-profit community groups. Many thanks to Vicnet for hosting the CATHS website for our first five years online. In that time we've had thousands of visitors to our site - in February this year the CATHS website, overall, was receiving about 1500 page hits per week. In addition to promoting the aims and activities of CATHS, our website aims to provide useful information such as cinema and theatre listings, links, and resources to assist those researching cinema and theatre heritage and related subjects. There are also Showcase features of cinemas and theatres, and other special articles. It is pleasing that we have had quite a few members joining CATHS as a result of visiting our website - from Victoria, interstate and international - including from afar as Alaska and New York. From the Editor... I would sincerely like to thank CATHS members and all the other people and organisations who have contributed to the website in many ways - providing news and information, photographs, links, feedback, suggestions and encouragement. For a bit of 'net nostalgia', click here to see what the "About CATHS" page looked like in 1998! Support our cinema and theatre heritage - join CATHS, it's a great community group! Best wishes to all, Green light for Dromana Drive-in third screen The 40th Anniversary party, and opening of the third screen is on Saturday 21st December 2002. There'll be free family entertainment, fireworks and movies! New Drive-in for Dandenong New theatre developments for Southbank arts precinct The Government will provide $36 million for the projects over five years. An $18 million payment to the State from Crown Casino - in lieu of building the planned 1800 seat Lyric Theatre - will also help fund the projects. The balance of funding will come from private and philanthropic sources. "This new plan provides a major boost to the arts precinct in Southbank with facilities that are genuinely needed," Premier Steve Bracks said. "There was little demand for a theatre the size of the Lyric which would have threatened Melbourne's existing historic theatres." "But the State's arts community has long been calling for a recital hall and proper facilities for the Melbourne Theatre Company. The recital hall will be able to host orchestras with state of the art acoustics for live musical performances." Under the planned development, the recital hall will occupy part of a site owned by the University of Melbourne, on the corner of Sturt Street and Southbank Boulevard. "This venue will give Victorians the opportunity to see some of the best performers in the world," he said. Mr Bracks said the hall would be named after Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, acknowledging her tremendous support for the arts in Victoria. "Melbourne University has agreed to sell the land to the State Government and then make those funds available for the construction of the new theatre for the MTC," Mr Bracks said. The theatre would be built on part of the former YMCA site, at the corner of Sturt Street and City Rd. "This initiative aims to secure the only two remaining sites in the arts precinct for arts purposes. These two venues will enhance Victoria's reputation as a leading centre for arts and culture," he said. The new venues are expected to be completed by 2007. New website for Village Cinemas 50th Anniversary of Olinda Film Festival The programme was introduced by the Federation's current president, John Turner. A recording of an ABC outside broadcast that was made on 26th January 1952 in front of the Olinda Hall was played: "There's Mr Frank Nicholls, Chairman of the Festival Committee", said the announcer, "and I can see Mr Schefferle, one of the organisers coming towards us..." There in the front row of Nova's Cinema Four were Messrs Nicholls and Schefferle. The lights dimmed and the original Festival logo designed by Maz Robinson with music by Dorian Le Gallienne introduced the mini-feature Mike and Stefani, made on 35mm by Maslyn Williams in 1951. The subject: Australia's Department of Immigration with unassuming Aussie compassion on the ground in post-war Eastern Europe assisting refugees in coming to Australia. Deane Williams in the Oxford Companion to Australian Film describes 'Mike And Stefani' as "one of the finest achievements of the Australian Government's Department of Information ... a beautiful unfolding film of a family's struggle with the forces of history on a shoestring in war-ravaged Europe." Timely in the context of Australia's current treatment of refugees, the film moved many of the audience to tears. Frank Nicholls then spoke about key personalities in the Festival's Olinda debut, how the film society movement established the Festival and the range of films shown in that initial programme. Edwin Schefferle spoke about the importance of the State Film Centre in those early years in providing films, training and equipment in establishing rural-based film societies. Mr Schefferle elucidated how film societies can still be successful today. The second half of the programme comprised a screening of Earth, a 1930 Russian silent film directed by Alexander Dovzhenko. Shown at Olinda in 1952, the 50th Anniversary Festival screening made use of the 1970s restoration - stretchprinted on 35mm with an accompanying sound track. Described by Gilbert Adair in 'Time Out' as "a very great film indeed ... a hymn both to nature and the gleaming new tractors and ploughs aimed to transform it", the film was a fine example of the very films the film society movement and the Realist Film Group sought to import in the late 1940s. The Realists successfully agitated for the lowering of the crippling import duty so that such 'non-commercial' films could be screened by film societies festivals throughout Australia. The 200 guests - local, country and interstate - adjourned to the adjacent foyer for refreshments where video interviews, photographs and general chin-wagging continued unabated for hours. Special thanks to Natalie Miller for providing the venue; ScreenSound Australia for films and archival recordings; Quentin Tourner; and Ross Campbell for technical co-ordination. • Click here to read address by Frank Nicholls to the Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Olinda Film Festival, held at the Nova. • Below: The Winter 2001 edition of CinemaRecord (No. 33) features a comprehensive 7 page article by Ross Campbell (CATHS member, and Technical Adviser to MIFF): 'The Melbourne International Film Festival - Celebrating 50 years'. The feature has over 40 images including many photos of venues used by the Festival over its 50 years.
More 'baby' movie sessions FAMM Convention This year's first prize winner is Don Hawkins, for his film The Noble Art of Stopping, about vintage trams in the UK. 2002 also marks the 50th year of FAMM, which represents 26 amateur movie makers' clubs from all over Australia. Members of the clubs use film, video and digital media. 150 people attended the last Convention in 2001. For further information contact the secretary, John Stevenson
johnstev@bigpond.com.au
ShoWest I look forward to sharing some of our exciting 'adventures' with you on our return in 2 weeks! The convention is a lot of fun (late nights/early mornings!), but more importantly it demonstrates the direction where the exhibition industry (cinemas) is currently heading. ShoWest is the largest annual convention for the motion picture industry. As the only international gathering devoted exclusively to the movie business, it attracts as a matter of course the most powerful people in filmmaking: the stars, directors, producers, and studio executives responsible for creating the most successful motion pictures in the world. It is also the single largest international gathering of motion picture professionals and theatre owners in the world, with delegates from more than 50 different countries in attendance each year." Castlemaine Theatre withdrawn from sale |
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