Fellow Northsiders, this might just be the most excited we’ve been all month. Being massive film buffs, when we discovered a new independent cinema and bar had opened we were over the moon. Introducing to you all, the Thornbury Picture House! Our new local that we refuse to stop raving about.

It’s brought to us out of a space draped in history – once upon a time it was one of Melbourne’s first drive-through petrol stations – today it’s takes on a new form made by cinema curating master mind, Gus Berger. Gus has been responsible for similar triumphs in the past, such as the George Revival Cinema in 2013-14, and the long-loved Red Hot Shorts event, but after having his eye on the historical High St building for some time, he and his team have spent many months working hard to bring his unique vision to life. And it is a blast!

Prepare for the immersive experience of the theatre itself, when a 6 metre screen appears out of sweeping curtains, singing with a state of the art Krix 5.1 sound system, that will leave you (like it did us) sinking in to one of the 57 comfy seats. Watch a full slate of festival hits, probing documentaries, family favourites, cult-classics, and other films both locally & internationally made that otherwise might not have been seen on Australian screens.

Some of what we enjoy most about films is gathering our friends for the discussion of possibilities before viewing, and then the cross-examination of events with them afterwards – and of course the food and drink involved, too! Inside the cinema is a wonderful accompanying bar designed by Julian Beattie of Makestuff. Here we find remnants of the past, like the original, personalised tiles reading “Motor Spirit” the old romantic term for what we call petrol and undercover forecourt of the 1919 garage, alongside an art-nouveau introduction with complimenting furniture, lush plant life, and quirky, silver-screen memorabilia.

The bar serves drinks from local breweries including Collingwood’s Stomping Ground and Thornbury’s own Three Ravens, as well as a selection of independent wines and a batch-brew from East Brunswick based, Padre Coffee. And for something to nibble on, Umberto’s (one of our fave Italian café/restaurants a few doors down) offer up a choice of small & shares plates to enjoy (menus at the bar), or even just some homemade popcorn and sumptuous choctops from The Ice Cream Embassy to enjoy the flick just that little bit more!

We recently had a chat with Gus to hear about his latest, exciting project…

Most people have only ever visited franchised movie theatres, and having relatively the same experience no matter which one they go to, we all know the drill. With TPH having such a unique character, what can first-timers expect?

I guess we are trying to create an intimate cinema in the style of what we would like to see in our local picture house. Really nice and local food and drink options, home made choc-tops and friendly staff who are passionate about film and providing a great experience for our patrons. We pay homage to the golden age of cinema because one, we loved that period of time when a thousand people would gather within a beautiful art-deco picture palace and all watch a film together and also, all that old cinema equipment and photographs that adorn our walls and shelves needed a home. I was running out of room!

Where did your love for film begin?

I think it was all about appreciating the power of film from a really young age. I saw The Killing Fields, Cool Hand Luke, Mean Streets and Midnight Express at a very young age and I couldn’t stop thinking about those films for months afterwards. They are tough films and I remember seeing beautiful and funny films too - but I remember those four films in particular as they opened my eyes to how other people live and what people have experienced.

What is the curation process like for you at the Thornbury Picture House? Having to appeal to both the big screen cinema lovers as well as those who prefer art-house genres…Do you have a list of criterion for the chosen films?

I think that if we continue to get good numbers from films that we are currently showing,, then the programming is going to be so much easier as you just need to follow your gut feeling on films coming out and play the films we like or think will be well received. It’s also about knowing what reviewers you can trust if you can’t see the film in full. I also love the cult and classics films stands we are developing in the program, such as One Flew over the Cuckoo Nest, Death in Brunswick, True Romance, Malcolm etc..so it’s great that we are getting such good numbers for those titles because they’re loads of fun to program.

Is it true that you have plans to start a Northside film festival…?

I do - as soon as I have the time! We are doing as much as we can to support local filmmakers at the moment, such as offering the venue for shoots and premier screenings so hosting a festival seems like a natural progression. I think after the Melbourne Film Festival would be a good time to start. Watch this space!

As the quality of your program at TPC attests, it’s an exciting time for contemporary cinema! Are there are any films from the last few years that have really altered the way you see the world, or perhaps, the way you think or view film.

My background is in documentary film - I worked as a programmer for UK based DocHouse for a number of years and I’ve made a few documentaries myself so I would have to say films in that genre are the ones that challenge how I see the world or change how I think about things. Off the top of my head, films like Blackfish, Man on Wire & The Act of Killing have this sort of effect on me. Saying that I loved A Prophet and There Will Be Blood from the fiction films of recent years.

In a film about your life: Who would direct it? Who would play you?

I’ve been told by younger people that I look like the surfer Mick Fanning and the older ones, Steve McQueen (obviously on a very good day for both) and I reckon Steve would do it better!

You had your eyes on the old garage in Thornbury for years & we’re just so happy you were able to secure the long lease. Talking on behalf of all the arts-minded Northsiders, we’re so happy because finally there is a cinema catering to what we want to see. What do you love most about the Northside of town? Do you have any fave cafes/shops?

I am really lucky to be in this suburb and particularly in this strip of such interesting and quality businesses. As you say, I was eyeing off this building for a number of years - before it became such a hub, so its really fortunate that it grew during this time as all these shops help each other and work to bring more people to this block. We are working with local Italian favourite Umberto’s with some lovely shared plates, our immediate neighbours at Think Thornbury have a lovely shop and run creative classes, North Street provide us with flowers each week, Carwyn Cellars for beer breaks (particularly during the build - before we got our own bar!), Ampersand for our coffee fix and delicious restaurants such as Greek Street Food, Som Tam, Fish on High, Super Ming & Spice Treasure. See, we are in an amazing strip!

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To celebrate the opening of The Thornbury Picture House, head to our Facebook page HERE for YOUR CHANCE to WIN Double-Pass Movie Tickets!

To check showing times, visit THE THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE'S WEBSITE HERE

Love the RH Brunswick Team Xx

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