Gina Dellabarca, film marketer and publicist, recently took over joint ownership of the Academy Cinema in Auckland with John Davies.

The Academy hosts the most edgy and diverse cinema content shown in Auckland today. The Big Idea's Isaac Davison discussed with Gina her first nine months in charge of Auckland's best-known art-house cinema. Gina Dellabarca, film marketer and publicist, recently took over joint ownership of the Academy Cinema in Auckland with John Davies.

The Academy hosts the most edgy and diverse cinema content shown in Auckland today. The Big Idea's Isaac Davison discussed with Gina her first nine months in charge of Auckland's best-known art-house cinema.Isaac Davison: What is your background in the film business?
Gina Dellabarca: I studied marketing and management at Victoria University, aiming for a life in business. But I did a film degree on the side to keep myself entertained. I was looking for a job in business after graduating, and was offered a great marketing job in the film and television company Kahu Kura - so I happened to fall into something that I really loved. I also ran Women in Film and Television for six months.

A few steps on, I'm now a minority shareholder at Academy, while John Davies is managing director. He's fulfils the more entrepreneurial side of the partnership. He managed Daybreak Film Company, and also set up Arkles Distribution Company. I worked with John by marketing Kombi Nation several years ago.

What gave you the confidence to take on ownership of a cinema? What attracted you to the idea?
The job at Women in Film and Television gave me the confidence to know I could start a business. So I set myself up as a freelance publicist. John and I spoke about getting into cinema business, and that's when the Academy opportunity arose.

Initially we thought that there was a hole in the market for cinemas in Auckland. But while we were researching the possibility of a new cinema, we stumbled on the council's policy that a cinema must have one park for every three patrons. We played with the idea of a cinema in Ponsonby, but the policy made a new theatre prohibitively expensive.

Mark Croft, who owned the Academy for five years, wanted to hand on the cinema to someone he trusted. Knowing that John and I were interested, he approached us. I've always loved the Academy, so it's a fantastic opportunity.

What tradition does Academy Cinema have? Are you building on this tradition or providing something new?
It has two markets: an older, educated crowd, and a young, hip crowd. It is the only dedicated art-house screen in Auckland. All of the other cinemas are mainstream or art-house/mainstream crossover. So the Academy is very important to both the city and the filmmaking community.

Without us, many films would not screen. Woodenhead began its life here. So did Kaikohe Demolition. We have just screened Event 16 with some special late-night screenings. The Jasmax Architecture Film Festival began here and now has got nationwide screenings. Many films that don't have mainstream appeal find a home here.

For a while we had the only digital screening facility in Auckland. Now the Rialto has also so new NZ films have more chances of finding an audience. We are continuing in this art-house mould, which was started 23 years ago by John and Heather Hart (former owners of Bridgeway Cinema).

The changes we are making are minor - such as improving the atmosphere of the bar to make the Academy more of an inviting place. We are also trying to give back to the community. We occasionally provide discount screenings and shorts for film-makers.

What do you want to achieve at Academy?
I consider myself a publicist, not a film exhibitor, and that is where I see my business growing. I fell into publicity by chance, and love it. And now I have been thrown into film exhibition, and the two areas tie together beautifully. I have learnt more in my nine months of cinema ownership than the rest of my education and work experience combined. It's exhausting, but stimulating.

Is there much competition in art-house cinema?
We don't think of the other theatres as competition, because most of our material is exclusive. We also have a very loyal audience. A large majority of our patrons are regulars. They are film-literate people, whom we try to look after. And it is easy to market to a loyal audience.

What place does cinema have in this digital age, as films become more accessible, and visual mediums are plentiful?
Cinema will always hold a special place for film-lovers. I know many people - city-dwellers - who don't watch TV, and will always opt for the large screen, with surround sound, and a glass of wine.

There is an energy and evanescence which a full cinema gives off, fuelled by the feeling that you're watching something exclusive, newly released.

Cinema is going through an exciting phase with the developments in digital technology. I've just returned from a week at the Movie Convention in Australia, which was abuzz with exciting technology. We plan on riding that wave.

The Academy is the most versatile cinema in the city, as we play the widest range of formats. That makes us ideal for hosting film festivals. And it's the festivals which keep people excited about film in general.

The small theatre allows us play films for long periods. Gloomy Sunday ran for five years!

Is art-house cinema immune to the dangers of digital age, such as piracy?
We're not completely immune. The long lead-time before some of our releases mean some films are accessible on other formats. Yet one of the benefits of a loyal audience is that they respect the medium, and are less likely to be pirates.

22/09/06