At one of the United States’ most respected film festivals earlier this year, director Quentin Tarantino lamented the current state of cinema. Known for cult hits like Pulp Fiction, Tarantino questioned what defines a movie in the streaming age.
“What even is a movie now?” he asked the audience at Sundance Film Festival. “A film that gets a token four-week run in theatres and then by week two you can stream it at home?”
Tarantino joins a growing number of acclaimed directors — including Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve — voicing concerns about how streaming has transformed film culture and undercut cinema attendance. The pandemic accelerated this shift, prompting venue closures and leaving audiences increasingly glued to personal screens at home.
Yet, in the face of this decline, a passionate micro-cinema subculture is rising, attracting audiences to independent theatres, converted warehouses, community halls, and pubs for communal film screenings.
“Streaming locks content away for isolated, at-home viewing on laptops or TVs, to be discussed online or turned into memes,” explained Felix Hubble, co-founder of Melbourne’s Static Vision. “But these underground screening events show people still crave real-world social experiences built around film.”
Static Vision specialises in screening independent, arthouse, and unconventional cinema, hosting events in its Brunswick space and organising touring festivals like the Brunswick Underground Film Festival. Hubble said the collective also brings international indie filmmakers to Australia — directors like The People’s Joker’s Vera Drew and Japan’s Daisuke Miyazaki — despite operating without profit.
Grassroots Film Movements Growing
In Adelaide, a group called Movie Juice is similarly dedicated to screening experimental and alternative cinema in diverse venues, from community halls to historic theatres. Co-founder Daniel Tune said they believe strongly in the micro-cinema model.
“Our biggest screening sold out the Mercury Theatre with 188 people, and our recent one pulled 107,” Tune said. “We cover our costs — it’s sustainable.”
While mainstream film festivals remain important platforms for indie filmmakers, Tune pointed out they’re costly, dependent on political trends, and not guaranteed to endure. He prefers smaller, grassroots, community-driven networks.
Both Hubble and Tune hope to see a national network of film collectives, sharing low-budget films and filmmakers across Australian cities. Hubble compared the concept to how music scenes thrive through touring bands and pop-up gigs.
“There’s upheaval in independent cinema,” Hubble said. “A $5,000 film made by friends can suddenly find an audience on the other side of the world. Australia should be part of that global movement.”
An Informal but Expanding Network
Sydney’s Pink Flamingo Cinema, co-founded by Ing Dieckmann, focuses on rare, queer, avant-garde, and underground films. Dieckmann said there’s already a loose, informal network where films tour between cities and even reach international venues like New York’s Spectacle Theater.
However, she noted a lack of institutional support for alternative cinema spaces in Australia, as cinemas are often seen as purely commercial ventures, limiting access to funding.
“Cinemas have changed so much — most people here think Hoyts or IMAX when you say ‘cinema,’” she said. “We’ve lost so many independent venues. It’d be great to see national support for what micro-cinemas bring to communities.”
A Revival of Small-Scale Screenings
Across the country, micro-cinemas, film societies, and independent festivals have seen attendance grow over the past two years. Brisbane’s Container: Brisbane Film Society and Byron Bay’s Underground Music Festival are among those thriving.
“In Melbourne, you’ll find a film collective screening something outside a traditional cinema nearly every night,” Hubble said.
Dieckmann agreed, saying her cinema had experienced its strongest seasons yet, frequently reaching capacity in its 75-seat venue.
