The Gala Twin Cinema in Warrawong boasts a classic candy bar complete with nostalgic vibes. Photo: Illawarra Film Society.
If you want to go out to see a movie in Wollongong, you’re out of luck.
But travel just 15 minutes south and you can have your pick of flicks on the big screen in a cinema that’s seen it all.
The Gala Twin Cinema in Warrawong has shown the latest hits and independent gems for almost 80 years.
It’s the only independent cinema left in the Illawarra, and it shows.
At the Gala you’ll get events that would never happen at big blockbusters – premieres for locally-produced films, meet and greets with filmmakers and celebs as part of nation-wide movie tours.
Owner Ian Hyslop has run the show for the past 15 years or so.
He’s spent a lifetime in the entertainment industry, working for major companies and independents alike.
He says his philosophy in life has always been to support local – and when it comes to film, he is no different.
“If you go to the local takeaway you’re going to find a greater variety of food for a better price than McDonalds or KFC,” he says.
“If you live in the area you should try to buy locally, whether it’s food, produce or film.”
As a result, the cinema has become a hub for the Illawarra’s fledgling film industry, hosting premieres from local talent – for example, the recent The Things We Bury.
Ian says hosting events is a way to do what cinemas are made for – building community.
“When you can make an event out of it, it helps to revive the art of going out that’s been lost since COVID,” he says.
“People are anxious, and so they stay at home and withdraw into themselves; but if they come to see something, they immediately have a common interest.
“They might like and dislike different parts or have different points of view about what they saw, and then you have people interacting.”
As we talk, the Gala begins to fill with movie-goers for its lunchtime showing.
It’s half an hour before the film is due to start, but that hasn’t dampened anyone’s enthusiasm.
Some grab a choc top and make themselves comfortable in the booths for a quick catch-up with friends. The lobby hums with conversation.
They’re here to see Norwegian film Sentimental Value – Stellan Skaarsgard won a Golden Globe for his role.
If you are looking to see something at the cinema, but aren’t sure where to start, Ian recommends steering clear of blockbusters.
“Don’t go by the hype; go and see something you don’t know,” he says.
“If you know nothing about it you’ll probably enjoy it.
“There are some excellent foreign films out now, and most of the time you don’t need to read the subtitles because the body language of the actors is so good.
“There are some excellent authentic Australian and New Zealand films, too.”
When asked about his own film preferences, Ian says he’s currently got a soft spot for opera.
“There were some opera films filmed in the 50s and 60s that were bloody awful, but you watch the Met Opera nowadays and it’s perfect,” he says.
“The cameras are so close you can see the makeup, the actions, everything.
“It brings it to life, it has the ‘wow’ effect.”
His greatest joy, however, is a show well done.
Even 15 years later, Ian says not much compares to the buzz of a successful film.
“I’m proud every time we have a good house and the audience comes out happy – you think ‘job well done’,” he says.
“When you have a few hundred people in the auditorium watching a comedy film, one person laughs and they all laugh; it’s infectious.”
As for the future of the industry, Ian says although being the last independent cinema left in the region has its challenges, he is not worried.
“It can be frustrating when distributors prioritise big chains, or assume people from Wollongong will travel to Sydney to watch a film instead of releasing it down here,” he says.
“But the industry changes all the time.
“Australia produced the first-ever feature film. Then sound came, then radio came into people’s homes, and then TV came.
“Now it’s streaming services. It changes all the time, but if you have good, interesting product, you’ll get through.”
