Star Saddened By Screen Scene

Newcastle Herald

Thursday May 8, 2008

NEWCASTLE-born actress Susie Porter has expressed concern for the Australian and independent film industry with the closure of the city's Showcase Cinemas.

Porter told The Herald yesterday she felt sad at the closure of the theatre as it was a Newcastle institution and important to the public's exposure to a diverse range of Australian and foreign films.

"It is a lovely old cinema," she said.

"It was always my favourite cinema to go to as a kid."

The star of films such as Idiot Box and Little Fish said multiplex cinemas were more interested in screening big-budget blockbusters, giving little or no running time to Australian and independent film.

"Having something like Margaret [Goumas's] theatre in town meant lower budget films can last longer on those screens," she said.

Porter said Australian-made films struggled to compete with big-budget American releases for screen time in multiplex cinemas and needed independent cinemas like the Showcase to reach audiences.

"We need all the help we can get," she said.