From the brink of closure almost two years ago, Eaglehawk's Star Cinema has come along in leaps and bounds.
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In 2019, it boasted a record attendance, with more than 23,000 people flocking to the cinema, an increase from 21,000 attendees in 2018.
Star Cinema's business manager Martin Myles said the increased attendance speaks to the cinema's appeal to a wider audience and its fantastic retention rate.
"One thing we know at Star is that getting people here is the hardest part.
"Once you get in the first time, they come back.
"We are offering a gold class service at less than standard ticket prices," Mr Myles said.
Star Cinema was saved from the brink of closure in early 2018 thanks to a fundraising campaign and generous donations.
It has since worked tirelessly to attract patrons to its unique cinema.
"We are the only independent cinema in the greater Bendigo area.
"We are heavily reliant on the support of locals," Mr Myles said.
In late 2019, the cinema became the custodians of the Eaglehawk Town Hall, which involves managing the building the hiring of spaces within it.
This will allow Star Cinema to actively promote and hire spaces within the building.
Last year, Star Cinema's weekly fundraisers raised more than $35,000 for local community groups and causes such as Bendigo Foodshare and Bendigo Breast Cancer Support Services, among others.
It is planning to host 48 fundraisers this year.
"We get a lot of repeat business on the fundraisers because they are super easy, raise a lot of money and you have a captive audience," Mr Myles said.
A winter film festival, tentatively dubbed the Eaglehawk Film Festival, is a passion project the cinema has been working on for four years and could debut this year.
"Dates, duration and content is to be confirmed, but we hope to make that an annual event and have our very first Eaglehawk Film Festival.
"All the major centres have a film festival and we have decided because we are in Eaglehawk, we need to acknowledge that," Mr Myles said.
Star Cinema's recently redesigned logo, featuring the tag 'Your Cinema' encapsulates what the cinema is all about.
"Our bread and butter are the locals who come time and time again.
"We really wanted to acknowledge and thank the people that saved us," Mr Myles said.
The cinema is under no illusion that it can't rest on its laurels and moving to a seven day operation has helped it flourish.
"Being seven days a week, we remain in people's consciousness.
"In the past, if someone wanted to go to the Star, it was closed, but not anymore," Mr Myles said.