Why North West Queensland faces the loss of its cinema experience

The North West region looks to be losing its popcorn and cinema experience at the end of the school holidays. Read the sad reason why.

The Mount Isa Cinema is closing unless a new buyer could come in to replace the retiring owners, leaving families wondering what else they can do in the area. Picture: Facebook / Cinema Mount Isa

While North West Queensland parents have been entertaining their children on holidays with movies such as Sonic 3, Mufasa and Wicked, there are fears they will not be able to do so for long.

The ageing owners have decided to close the Mount Isa Cinema’s doors after running it for 27 years, and deciding they need to slow down their lifestyle after putting it on the market in the past year.

Mount Isa mother-of-two Renaee Takurit was saddened after her young family went to see Sonic 3 at the local cinema this week, knowing that it could be their last time they could experience the movies together unless they holidayed elsewhere.

“My kids are only just old enough to go to the movies, and they love it, it’s really sad,” Mrs Takurit said.

“The kids have just had their first taste of the cinema and loved it and now it’s closing.

“It’s like a bittersweet experience.

“Hopefully someone buys it.”

Jacob Takurit, Zahli Takurit, 3, Zeke Takurit, 4, and Renaee Takurit on a family trip to the Mount Isa Cinema, which will close its doors at the end of January.

When the Mount Isa Cinema closes at the end of January the nearest alternatives will be the Royal Open-Air Theatre almost 500km away in Winton, which is operational between April to September each year, and the Tors Drive-In Cinemas in Charters Towers almost 800km east.

But the more practical option would be to attend one of the cinemas in Townsville 900km away.

Regular Mount Isa cinema goer Jordan Dank, who works in after school care at the PCYC, said it would be a sad thing for the North West if it remained closed.

“It (was) one thing that got some of the kids off the street,” he said.

“I reckon someone in the community should buy it and get the council to run it, which would be great.

“Because there are many more movies to watch for the future.”

The Mount Isa community is already facing struggles with looming job losses at the mines, as well as the insolvency of its major annual rodeo which boosted the economy by more than $10m each year.

But the long-running owners said the cinema closure had nothing to do with local economic issues and was running on a profit, and more to do with needing to retire.

Under the Saunders ownership since the late 90s the cinema had overcome two ownership changes at Mount Isa Mines, numerous booms and busts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rise of streaming services.

Mount Isa Cinema owner Graeme Saunders, 72, said there were several potential interested parties who had looked through the business, but was not “overconfident” there would be a guaranteed buyer.

“It just needs someone younger to come along,” Mr Saunders said.

“We’re not getting younger, Lenore and I, and it’s no hidden secret, I’m also battling prostate cancer which is so far in check but you never know with it.

“We just want to take a step back.

“We’re not leaving Mount Isa … we’ll retire here, do everything here, continue doing racing whatever, and spend more time travelling around and that, that’s all.”

He conceded that the cinema was important for the community’s liveability.

“It’s a good entertainment for kids growing up, they can grow out there, their parents drop them off, it’s a safe environment.

“That’s always been the case because the big market is the children’s market and we’ve always pitched it for the children, and people like to go out.

“You’ve got no idea the number of people that have said to me, ‘what am I going to do now, Saturday nights, Friday nights?

“They still want to go out, get some popcorn, watch a movie, they go home.”

4825 Realty has advertised the 22 West Street business seeking offers of over $650,000.

Originally published as Why North West Queensland faces the loss of its cinema experience