Going to the movies can be put back on the social calendar as of July 2.
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The Empire Cinema's big screens will be back in action from 10.30am on Thursday with the premiere a new release, The Booksellers.
The documentary delves into the world of rare book dealers and collectors and the obsessive hunt for the next great find; from Da Vinci's The Codex Leicester (the most expensive book ever sold) to essential early hip-hop documents.
This special offering features interviews with such luminaries as Fran Lebowitz, Susan Orlean and Gay Talese. It also goes behind the covers with a range of rare book dealers, collectors and booksellers.
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Other new releases to the big screens include A Son (Bik Eneich: Un Fils) and Hearts and Bones.
Two movies that had only just been released when cinemas were shut down, Honeyland, and In My Blood It Runs, will also continue at the cinema.
Meanwhile, several blasts from the past are on offer including a movie with a special connection to the Southern Highlands, Babe.
Two other classic hit films, Jaws and Back to the Future will also be showing at the Bowral-based cinema.
The team at the Empire Cinema are excited about the return of a popular past-time, going to the movies.
And they are pulling out all the stops to ensure eager movie-goers are safe, with various Covid Safe measures in place.
The cinema is expected to run at about 30 per cent capacity based on the 4sqm metre spacing requirement currently in place.
"At capacity we can seat 560 people across the four theatres, but that will drop to between 100 and 200 over four screens to abide with Covid regulations," co-owner Gerard Aiken said.
There will also be hand sanitising stations and extra staff to thoroughly clean theatres between sessions.
And while the cinema would normally run 24 movie sessions a day across the four theatres, this will be reduced to 16 sessions.
This measure has been introduced so that staff has a longer, 45 minute, break between sessions for cleaning and for the changeover of people in the cinema.
Gerard said he would further encourage people to book online to avoid disappointment of not being able to see a movie.
Details: https://empirecinema.com.au/
