The Schouten family have been running the iconic Metro Cinemas in Boronia for almost 18 years. It is a totally independent cinema and one of only two in the eastern suburbs operated with the owner at the location, personally serving their public.

Over the first 15 years the business was steadily growing and had established itself as a well-respected community cinema. Community groups benefited from the generous group ticketing and fund-raising support throughout all those years, not offered by others.

It was not unusual to have marriage proposals take place in the cinema and on one occasion an elderly couple came in to announce their divorce. They just didn’t want to leave without management knowing
what happened to them.

Then came Covid, pulling the rug right out from under the operation. This week marks the third anniversary of a fight no-one expected. To simply survive through the long period of business closures that affected so many in our State, became the new struggle. Cinemas were the first to be closed and the very last businesses to be allowed to reopen.

After being shut for almost a two-year timespan, the fact that The Metro was able to open its doors again was a sheer miracle. With cinemas closed around the world, studios moved away from them and concentrated on streaming product, a move these same studios now regret because they simply cannot operate profitably in a world without audiences enjoying movies on the big screen. To make blockbuster films like Top Gun Maverick, they need cinemas to be showing their films.

There is very strong product coming over the next year, but right now we are calling on the community to rally around and support us by purchasing tickets, as we try to save our cinema and continue to show movies.