The funding comes under the Federal Government's $20 million Supporting Cinemas' Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods (SCREEN) Fund.

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Eaglehawk's Star Cinema business manager Martin Myles said the cinema received around $35,000.

He said the grants would support the recovery of cinemas from impacts to revenue due to COVID-19.

"It was a nice surprise and they made the application process easy and we a really pleased to be successful with our application," he said.

"We are sure we will be able to use this funding for positive purposes and it just gives some scope and peace of mind to complete projects that have been on the back burner for some time."

Mr Myles said the funding was important for many regional Victorian cinemas.

"It's incredibly important to have these initiatives available and how it has come about is an acknowledgement that cinemas have been one of the hardest hit industries during this situation," he said.

"It's just very, very challenging to be going through this lockdown and the last few days have all been about damage control.

"There is never-ending challenges with COVID-19 and we are so far from herd immunity and sufficient vaccinated numbers, it just seems like this is going to stretch on for quite some time."

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Bendigo and Ballarat Cinemas also received around $85,000 each.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Paul Fletcher said more than $8.7 million in grants had now been allocated for 158 independent cinema sites across the country.

"Independent cinemas are so important to the social and cultural health of our communities in Australia, which is why we acted quickly to introduce our $20 million SCREEN Fund," he said.

"Through this fund we are already enabling 158 cinemas to keep operating and to provide a popular, low-cost and COVID-safe way for people to go out and enjoy a movie as part of a community - particularly in regional areas."

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