5 February 2011

New cinema for Civic

| johnboy
Join the conversation
29
screenshot

The Canberra Times reports that Palace Cinemas are going to open an eight screen operation in the Nishi building at Acton which will radically reshape the landscape of Civic.

Australia’s largest independent operator, Palace proposes a wider diversity of films, filling a void in Canberra left after Electric Shadows closed in Civic in 2006.

Palace’s executive director Benjamin Zeccola said the industry was moving from 35mm film equipment to new digital platform, and the multimillion-dollar Palace fit-out on Nishi’s ground floor facing Lake Burley Griffin would include all digital, state-of the art projection and sound.

”Expect to see the very best from France, Italy and Spain, all of the film festivals from those countries, the best coming out of America, independent film making as well as Hollywood films.

”It’s really difficult for distributors to place quality films in Canberra because there is not enough screens, so there is a real need for more quality screens.”

The new theatre is to be known as the Palace Electric Cinema.

Taking up the “electric” mantle, with the ghosts of electric shadows, is a big call.

Join the conversation

29
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
AsparagusSyndrome12:39 am 21 Feb 12

Speaking of the “void left by Electric Shadows”, is the actual void still down there, under Sour Cherry etc?

It would be a great place to start up an ‘underground’ theatre troupe or a private room for midnight matinees, if you don’t care about dust, damp, mould, fire regulations etc. Is it still accessible, under a trapdoor or some such? I wonder what state it is all in, down there? I bet there are vampires living in it. Or some strange religious cult headquarters, in the dark… Or a colony of rats evolving their own society.

Or did they just fill it in at some point, to prevent nutters going back in there?

Perhaps they should turn it into a night club on a Cold War Bomb Shelter theme (once they spray and clear out the vampires, and rats).

enrique said :

deye said :

At Nishi ? that seems a bit out of the way. Parking will be interesting, especially given the public transport options over that way.

Tell me about it, people are already parking up on nature strips and gutters around there on Friday nights – that area will be a complete shermozzle during busy times if they don’t plan ahead.

guys have you actually seen the plan for Nishi? it’s got 5-6 stories of underground parking. yes they are planning ahead…

“the multimillion-dollar Palace fit-out on Nishi’s ground floor facing Lake Burley Griffin would include all digital, state-of the art projection and sound.”

What is the point of giving a movie theatre a view of a lake? The patrons pay a premium for the view and then sit in a room with no windows…

chris_underscore said :

big deal.

Not really.

chris_underscore said :

I’m glad my family invested in one of the Nishi apartments

Ahh…to waft off to sleep to the rumble of eight massive sets of subwoofers…

Deref said :

It’d be great to have an alternative to the usual Hollywood shite again!

More Muppet movies, and they ain’t Hollywood shite . They were English ( Lord Grade did all the Muppet Shows ) All big names , say from Yankee land and wherever, flew into England for their ‘guest appearance’. Ah mid 70’s at 6pm on Fridays in Townsville.

It’d be great to have an alternative to the usual Hollywood shite again!

Holden Caulfield4:16 pm 20 Feb 12

Gantz said :

So did this ever eventuate?

The Nishi Building, where the cinemas will be, is still being built.

So did this ever eventuate?

symba said :

I think it was known as Screen Australia until 30 June 2008, now its an independent body called National Film and Sound Archive. The exhibition space is getting a little old but I think they are updating it in the next few years. Its a lovely courtyard, cafe and very historic building (1931). They have a new website too which looks pretty cool. Love the outdoor screenings!

No, sorry, please don’t reply with wrong info! It was the National Film and Sound Archive before it was Screensound.

Screen Australia is a different body altogether – that’s the government’s film funding organisation, not the collecting institution …

I think it was known as Screen Australia until 30 June 2008, now its an independent body called National Film and Sound Archive. The exhibition space is getting a little old but I think they are updating it in the next few years. Its a lovely courtyard, cafe and very historic building (1931). They have a new website too which looks pretty cool. Love the outdoor screenings!

I-filed said :

symba said :

Speaking of the NFSA – I’m curious to know from any Riotact insiders, just when and how the name reverted from the appalling “ScreenSound”.

+1

Absolutely idiotic.

symba said :

This site is across the road from the National Film & Sound Archive, who run a cinema called Arc. There was no indication of these Cinema’s in the public documentation when the building was first approved.

Speaking of the NFSA – I’m curious to know from any Riotact insiders, just when and how the name reverted from the appalling “ScreenSound”. I’d love to know which faceless mandarin was responsible for that debacle! The Canberra School of Art had a similar debacle – the Canberra School of Art Gallery was officially renamed the Udo Sellbach Gallery – the name mysteriously and apparently unofficially lapsing within a year …

This site is across the road from the National Film & Sound Archive, who run a cinema called Arc. There was no indication of these Cinema’s in the public documentation when the building was first approved.

Holden Caulfield9:55 am 07 Feb 11

I thought we were told that Dendy was going to pick up the void left by Electric Shadows, including some of the staff? Now it seems we’re being told again.

I agree that Nishi will likely be a pretty crap location and its proximity to ANU will probably end up dictating its content.

Yanni said :

In fact nishi is in civic. The suburb of acton starts on the other side of the road. A new public car park will be available under the building.

And for those friday nights currently there is a new car park which opened in december last year.

Nuh. Sorry. Civic doesn’t go anywhere past the Lakeside.

If the mapmakers weren’t able to put an appropriate line on the map, that’s because “Civic” was a vernacular term, and the authorities tried to make us call it “Canberra City” till they gave up. They’ll have to cede at some stage on this one too!
Nishi is in Acton.

In fact nishi is in civic. The suburb of acton starts on the other side of the road. A new public car park will be available under the building.

And for those friday nights currently there is a new car park which opened in december last year.

I’m going to agree with the others here. It’s not civic.

However, i hope they have a few mainstream movies, to remove the monopoly dendy has

Great to see something replacing Electric Shadows – it left a huge hole. Not so sure about the location though.

eight? what colours will they all be?? fantastic, shadows re-emerge; let’s hope their posters are collectable, too…

georgesgenitals4:40 am 06 Feb 11

Interesting. My bet is that it won’t last 12 months.

chris_underscore11:36 pm 05 Feb 11

big deal.

Nishi is (New) Acton, not Civic.

Nishi isn’t in Civic.

chris_underscore5:28 pm 05 Feb 11

Good move for civic, the other parts of the city have to be activated, shame that all the town centres revolve around shopping centres.

I’m glad my family invested in one of the Nishi apartments 🙂

gospeedygo said :

There will be wankers and hipsters everywhere.

F#$%ing hipsters and their diagonal fringes!

There will be wankers and hipsters everywhere.

deye said :

At Nishi ? that seems a bit out of the way. Parking will be interesting, especially given the public transport options over that way.

Tell me about it, people are already parking up on nature strips and gutters around there on Friday nights – that area will be a complete shermozzle during busy times if they don’t plan ahead.

At Nishi ? that seems a bit out of the way. Parking will be interesting, especially given the public transport options over that way.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.