Leinster Drive-in

Leinster Drive-in FAQs

What’s it all about?
We are a drive-in and outdoor cinema with canteen facilities and have been entertaining Leinster since 1978.

Can I have a party down there?
You bet. The Leinster Drive-in is available to hire as a social venue. The area is outside the designated quiet zone which is in place to lessen the disturbance to shift workers. For a hire application please contact the town office.

Who looks after the Drive-in?
The Drive-in is run by a sub-committee of the Leinster Sport and Recreation Association which is a non-profit volunteer organisation that supports various community activities.

So what’s all this ‘Save Leinster Drive-in’ about?
We have been advised by our distributers that they plan to stop supplying 35mm film in the near future. Roadshow (our main contract) has archived all their older 35mm film, and as of June 2013 had only 7 titles we could show.
At that time, Paramount advised that we might get one more movie out of them. Both Roadshow and Sony have offered six months as a longest possible end date. Universal is a beacon of hope, because they have no firm idea when 35mm will cease to be offered. All our distributors agree that increasing numbers will not be released on 35mm at all, even before the cut off, depending on the production company.

Okay, so we need to upgrade to digital. Won’t that be expensive?
Yes.

So, about $80K then, how are you going to get the money?
We are applying for grants, selling Cadbury fundraising chocolate and lollies and showing as many movies as we can. We are undertaking a kind of ‘stage one’ upgrade which will allow us to use our small digital projector to show sports, host events and show advertising. KACHING!

So, hang on. If you have a small digital projector why not just use that and play BLU-RAY or DVD?
In the words of a fellow projectionist ‘Why would we charge people to watch a format they can see at home?’ The upgrade will allow us to continue to deliver the standard people expect at a cinema plus so much more.

Still, it is a lot of cash. How do we know you are making good decisions?
All our financial decisions and payments go through the LSRA committee. Our bank accounts are governed by strict cash policies, protecting all parties from foul play. We have contracted excellent companies Silver Sound and Australian Theatre Supplies to manage the upgrade, who are sympathetic to our non-profit status and technical difficulties of an outdoor cinema. We are confident we have achieved a balance between cost –effectiveness and quality.

Well, that all sounds great! How can I help?
Depending on the depth of your helpful feeling, you can simply attend our fantastic movies and buy our fundraising confectionery. Helpers are always welcome in the canteen and on the gate, and the thousand other little jobs putting on a show entails.
We especially encourage people to visit the projection hut and learn how to prepare and show the movies. When we go digital, this job will be no more difficult than programming your iPod, but in the mean time we want to show as many movies as possible so the more the merrier.
Speaking of merry, you should know that the drive-in is FUN! Volunteers are VALUED! You get to watch the movie for FREE! Inspired as you are, you’ll want to email us at leinsterdrivein@gmail.com to volunteer. In any case, we’ll see you at the Drive-in!