Read also: 13-year-old Hunter Beard wins poetry slam

Empire Cinema co-owners Gerard Aiken and David Graham know this all too well.

"We closed on March 23, 2020 and didn't reopen until July 2," Gerard said.

"We lost so much money. The loss of the past 12 months will take years to recover.

"Our staff went down from 32 people to 16 people."

With plans to stay in Bowral for the long haul, David said they hope public confidence returns soon.

"We've received a lot of support from the community," he said.

"However JobKeeper ends soon but new releases aren't until June.

"We're rounding the bend but we still have a long way to go."

Federal Member for Whitlam Stephen Jones said the government needed to do more to support independent cinemas.

"Independent cinemas like Empire Cinema provide the community with local jobs," he said.

"They're calling for help. They need ongoing support past March to keep people in jobs and to keep independent cinemas alive.

"Empire Cinema is a pillar of the local community and a piece of Australian history, but it's at risk when JobKeeper ends.

"Scott Morrison needs to act now or we will all feel their loss."

Empire Cinema in Bowral is one of the oldest commercial cinemas in Australia. It is currently co owned by Gerard Aiken, David Graham and Richard Ruhfus.

It first opened in 1915 and has survived World War I, the Spanish Flu pandemic, World War II and was one of the first rural cinemas to install sound for patrons in the 1930s.

Empire Cinema is showing a number of new releases. For movie dates and times visit https://www.empirecinema.com.au/

Read also: ReFrame breaks the internet with social media launch party

A second legal outreach service has opened in Bowral

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: