This weekend marks 30 years since the Kino arthouse cinema at the Paris end of Collins Street was opened by Frank Cox nee Fotis Kokolidis.
And despite the common cultural threats to cinemas the world over, starting with the introduction of television in the 50s to current day film streaming, he says “Thirty years on, we’re still going strong, in fact stronger than ever”, especially since joining forces with Palace Cinemas. The partnership gave the cinema the opportunity to expand from four to seven screens and bar facilities, allowing patrons the freedom to enjoy a beverage along with the film.
For Cox, cinema holds a particularly special place in his heart.
Born in Constantinople in the 50s, he recalls going to the cinema religiously every Sunday.
“It was always a family outing every Sunday; go to church, go to lunch and then the movies,” he recalls.
Then in 1965 at the age of 14, he migrated to Melbourne and became a rock music film exhibitor and distributor before eventually turning to art films, and has imported some 500 movies for Australia and New Zealand to date.
Looking for a venue to exhibit his films, Cox was inspired to open the Kino noting that in 1987 there were not many arthouse cinemas in central Melbourne.
“We had the Rivoli, Brighton Bay, The Longford in Toorak Road, and that’s about it,” he recalls.
“I think the challenge we had initially was pretty much getting the word around, but we opened with a bang with a beautiful film called My Beautiful Laundrette and since then, which was 30 years ago, we followed it up with some very big hits,” Cox told Neos Kosmos.
While he admits that they had “a few flat years”, he’s optimistic in that they have never had a loss year.
But the Kino’s success has not been without compromises. Along with the expansion, the programming over the years has changed to include more mainstream options, in a bid to cater to the changing tastes of their audience.
“What we found over the years was that the customers that came to us, like me, they also liked to see a great commercial film for example a James Bond film or The Lord of the Rings or something like Philomena, which opens quite wide,” though he notes that they do their hardest to pick out “the good quality ones”.
Along with changing tastes, Cox says there has also been a marked change in the audience’s demographic. In the late 80s and the 90s at least a third of tickets were sold to students, while now cinemagoers are predominantly 45 years old and over.
While he recognises that young people are still watching movies, just on smaller screens, he says he feels the disconnect.
“What I’ve noticed is when I used to come back from the Cannes Film Festival or Berlin Film Festival back in the 80s and 90s, it seemed that my friends or people that I hung out with – and I had a wide circle – seemed to have known more about what’s coming up in the arthouse scene. So I guess I don’t feel it these days,” he said.
“Hopefully as they get older they will get sick and tired of the more commercial fare and try and get something a bit more challenging, a bit more thought-provoking, a bit more mind-altering, rather than sit in a cinema and get bombarded with car chases and shoot outs.”
One common argument for those not going to the cinema, which Cox is all too familiar with, is the cost. But the business owner argues that “everything is more expensive.”
“Back in the 70s people came to the city with 12 cents return ticket. People use to buy fish and chips for 50 cents. But our average ticket price, because I did some analysis over the last few weeks, is $12.60. So it hasn’t gone up that dramatically – I mean it’s a 30 year period. And I can easily say that our rent has more than doubled, and electricity has quadrupled from what it was back then.”
But Cox says there’s still something particularly special about going to the cinema.
“People, they love to stay at home, but they also like to go out. An all time film industry guy once said, ‘everybody has a kitchen at home, but people go to restaurants’. Plus I think it’s quite romantic to take your friend or you partner and head to the movies. You’re sitting uninterrupted in a dark room, you go along with the audience if they’re laughing or there’s a lot of excitement on the screen. It’s quite special.”
Asked what it means to him to have reached such an impressive milestone in a challenging business, he coyly responds.
“Well the first thing that it means to me is that 30 years ago … well I’m a lot older,” he laughs.
Now together with his partners, he has his sights set on expanding the space n the near future, with an additional two screens planned, although he is clear that “we’re not interested in going elsewhere; the city location is fine, we just need to find some extra space”.
Following Thursday night’s party with past staff and friends, from Friday through to Sunday the focus is on celebrating with patrons.
“We’re trying to give back to the public the whole weekend; on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we’re selling tickets at 1987 prices as well as popcorn, which is going for a dollar, handmade choc tops $3.00 and we’re also giving away a vintage film poster with each ticket. So that way we can thank our loyal audience of the past 30 years and say, “Hey! We’re still here, we’re doing well and here is something for you,” Cox said.
This weekend the special programming will feature four hit films screened at the cinema over the past 30 years, along with the showcase of 10 films that will be released in Australia over the next three to six months.
And while Cox admits to having been approached by prospective buyers, when asked whether he could see himself parting ways with his share of the Kino, without a hint of doubt in his voice he is quick to answer.
“The Kino to me is like my baby you know. So no, I can’t see myself [selling it]; it’s like selling your child – in a joking way. I don’t see myself getting out of the cinema business.”
To view session times and book tickets, visit palacecinemas.com.au/cinemas/kino/
