When was the last time you were cloaked in darkness, folded into a velvety seat, extremely salty popcorn in hand? As the film industry braces against the constantly changing tide of technology, the amount of cinema-going folk continues to be in flux. But no matter how good our tellies at home are, nor how accessible mindless motion picture fluff is on streaming services, nothing beats the experience of going to the movies. We chat to cinema aficionado, projectionist and cinema-owner Mark Walker about the state of the moving picture industry and his brand-spanking-new cinema in Melbourne/Naarm’s Collingwood, Eclipse Cinema.

Tell us about Eclipse Cinema and how it got started. The Eclipse takes its name from the Eclipse Theatre that existed at 32 Smith Street from 1913 until about 1917. When I found the building here at 32 Wellington Street (which is the former Sherrin football factory) I fell in love with the façade, and as this building is from the same era, it was only natural to resurrect the Eclipse name! It is a boutique cinema, modelled on some of the quaint movie houses, like London’s Electric, and some of the single screen cinemas you’ll find in New York or Berlin.

You’re also the co-founder of the Pivotonian Cinema in Geelong/Djilang. What initially drew you to the cinema industry, and what keeps you coming back? I worked as a film projectionist from the age of 16, initially in Swan Hill/Matakupaat and then at the Kino, Cinema Nova and Sun Theatre. I spent a few years at Odeon in the UK, and then around 2010 I was back in Australia and studying at RMIT when the digital transition from film occurred. Although I was working for Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and had adapted to the new digital landscape, there simply weren’t enough positions in the industry. And so I thought, “Why not invest in a $50k projector and see if I can go it alone?” I saw Geelong – a place with a sizeable population that didn’t have an indie cinema – so I went down there. Geelong was good to me for nearly a decade, although I always wanted to get back to the city. And I always had City of Yarra in mind: it’s the most artistic and progressive local government in the country and they don’t have an indie cinema? Madness!

What has it been like opening a cinema in the age of streaming? I don’t pay too much attention to streaming – it’s a bit overwhelming and very hit or miss. Cinema has always forged ahead in the face of threats from VHS, Pay TV, and streaming is no different. It’s challenging building a business from scratch – I’ve enjoyed a lot of exposure, but growing an audience just takes time. Reaching a critical mass or having a steady daytime audience happens somewhat organically. But I’ve had some stellar sold-out cult nights, Asian Cinema Collective events, private events and special screenings (such as my latest offering – Retro Classix programme). I’m really pumped for the busy season – all the best films come out in January and early 2026 has a particularly good lineup.

How do you curate a program of films that balances commercial interests with arthouse picks? This is similar to the way a lot of Hollywood actors approach things: do the big film and that will afford you the opportunity to take risks on the smaller indie films. Of course I don’t screen superhero films or the big blockbuster stuff, but the bigger (more popular) films can provide the security to get films in that might not make any money but deserve to reach an audience on the big screen.

What do you envisage for Eclipse’s future, and for the cinema industry as a whole? My vision for Eclipse is for more and more local content and filmmaker participation (although I already have hosted a number of filmmaker Q&As), and more avant-garde and exclusive films that no one else will screen. I’d also like to get a beer garden going out in the back courtyard next year, with a view to getting another screen going. It’s good to have a vision.

For the industry at-large, I think there will emerge a hybrid with streaming. Basically, the films will run at the cinema for a few weeks for those that want to enjoy it properly, and then roll into streaming. But that’s for larger productions and less so for niche films. I think indie cinema will continue to offer a genuine movie-going experience as intended by the filmmaker, and I am committed to offering that to the public!

To find out more about what flicks Eclipse Cinema are screening at the moment, head over to their website.

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