Sunshine Coast cinema owner paints grim picture as coronavirus, streaming take their toll

Caloundra’s independent cinema has survived the Great Depression, World War II, the invention of TV and VHS, but owner Nick Struik is not sure it will make it through COVID-19.

A combination of last year’s lockdowns and studios delaying the release of A-list movies because of the pandemic wiped out cinema audiences in 2020 and left many venues holding on only through a combination of JobKeeper, eviction moratoriums, and other government help.

“Our industry is known for smoke and mirrors, and we’re only still here because of the smoke and mirrors,” Mr Struik, who has owned Caloundra’s BigScreen Cinema for 25 years, said.

“That’s the combination of government support – Queensland and Federal – JobKeeper, reassessing all of the…