Kino Cinemas turns 30!

The Princess Bride, Zac Efron, The Legend of Zelda and Melbourne’s Kino cinema. What do each of these have in common? They’re all turning dirty thirty in 2017!

Kino is celebrating this tri-decade milestone by journeying back to the past — and you’re invited to come along for the ride. The brainchild of Frank Cox (NewVision Films) and Fred O’Brien (Dendy Cinema, Sydney), the Kino was born at the peak of arthouse cinema on June 25 1987. The first architect-designed twin cinema opened with My Beautiful Laundrette and Denys Arcand’s Decline of the American Empire, and consequently changed the landscape of Melbourne’s film culture.

Melbourne was in the midst of devouring a smorgasbord of global culture — fashion, food and film from all corners of the world were being whole-heartedly embraced by the community. What the city lacked was an arthouse cinema. Situated in the Paris-end of iconic Collins Street, Kino cinema today screens an average of 35 sessions per day on its seven screens featuring a selection of local and international features, documentaries, as well as themed festivals.

Over the decades the Kino has not only been a haven for film lovers, but a launch pad for many careers in the Australian film industry: James Hewison (ACMI, former MIFF director), Richard Sowada (director Revelation Film Fest, curator American Essentials) and Lizzette Atkins (Producer, Unicorn Films) all had their start as Kino employees. A feature film, Love and Other Catastrophes, was even co-written by staff members, and went on to launch the careers of Radha Mitchell and Frances O’Connor.

This birthday bash weekend is also a celebration of the eclectic mix that makes this arthouse cinema so wonderful. You can see the old (My Beautiful Laundrette, 1985 or Like Water For Chocolat, 1992, which spent a staggering 76 weeks showing at the Kino); the new (the thrilling Secret Scripture or the darkly alluring A Monster Calls); the documentary (Karina Holden’s ocean documentary, Blue); and the international (Monsieur Chocolat, French or Kiki, Love To Love, Spanish).

Indulge yourself during this weekend of entertainment, art and culture at Melbourne’s premiere film venue. Happy birthday Kino!

Kino Cinema 
45 Collins Street, Melbourne
palacecinemas.com.au/cinemas/kino