“A huge chapter of our lives”: Colac Cinema changing hands after more than two decades

A childhood filled with popcorn machines, choc tops and watching the big screen - the Colac Cinema has doubled as a workplace, playground and second home for Bonnie White.

What happened: After 21 years, White and her family are preparing to hand over the cinema they have run since 2005, with their lease at the Colac Otway Performing Arts and Cultural Centre set to end on May 31.

• Colac Otway Shire Council has selected Singapore-based company IVG Global as the venue’s new operator following a public tender process. 

• The decision was formally announced at the council’s meeting on April 28 following a public consultation period.

Bittersweet: White said the outcome was part of “the risk of going into a lease tender, it's always a possibility that you won't get it”. 

• “It's obviously bittersweet knowing that we've been there for such a long time … we wish we could continue, but it's just the way it is and we're excited for the new owners to take over and give it a new life,” she told the Brolga.

A family affair: The cinema’s story began unexpectedly, with her mum and dad Helen and Gerard, a midwife and a farmer-stock agent, taking a leap into an entirely new industry.

• “I love telling people the story, they were just presented with the opportunity, and they went for it head first. And what they've made of it is an incredible effort,” White said.

Wholesome memories: Growing up around the cinema, White recalled a childhood shaped by movie nights watching films solo as a young girl, eventually taking up a part time job before stepping into a more senior role managing the cinema’s operations.

• “My weekends were filled with going down to the movies,” she said. “If I was lucky, I remember I watched Winnie The Pooh or something by myself in the cinema. I felt like a little VIP when I was eight years old. So I did get the royal treatment there.”

• Crowds flocked for all the big releases: Twilight, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avatar - the list goes on.

Ups and downs: Over two decades, the cinema weathered industry upheavals, from the rise of streaming to the impacts of the COVID pandemic and production delays linked to writers’ strikes. 

• Blockbusters such as Barbie and Oppenheimer helped revive audiences post-pandemic, alongside “throwback” screenings voted for by locals.

Thank you and goodbye: As their lease winds up, White said the overwhelming feeling is gratitude.

• “It’s been a huge chapter of our lives,” she said. “To create a space for date nights, family outings, and first cinema experiences has been really special.”

What does the council say? Council chief executive Andrew Tenni said in a statement the new lease aimed to secure COPACC’s long-term viability while maintaining community access and expanding programming.

It’s unclear how IVG Global will operate COPACC and the cinema once the lease begins.