Shopfront Cinema
Phillip Briggs

When every empty shopfront is a cinema, every evening stroll is a film festival

Now more than ever, we need a diverse toolkit of pop-up responses to fill the gaps appearing in our retail streets and support our remaining retailers. With a low-cost, simple set-up, empty shopfronts become cinema screens, transforming streetscapes into dynamic destinations.

In this better life, Sydneysiders are excited to stroll and explore their local retail strips. A walk isn’t just simply exercise, but rather a surprising creative experience, as QR codes inform and assist navigation between installations.

Is this transformational? You bet. Empty shopfronts become advertisements for activity, not evidence of retail decline. And stories are told that might otherwise be hidden.

We’ll draw our content from the rich wellspring of New South Wales: short films, documentaries, community projects, student projects, social channels, Tropfest and the State’s rich archives.
Content that had one or two runs now gets another outlet to shine, and the diverse, complex vitality of local communities comes to life.

Naturally, we’ll publish the program online making it possible to set out purposefully to catch a specific show. Passers-by scan QR codes at the shopfront to provide instant information on screenings.

How does this deliver great public space? Easily and affordably, because Pop Up Cinema are experts in temporary cinema. While leasing signage and access remains untouched, we can install lightweight temporary screens to shop windows that will feature a curated reel of rights-cleared content, refreshed regularly.

BYO popcorn!