Kevin Childs
The Phoenix@TheRex Community Cinema campaign has received a major boost with a $20,000 donation from a Daylesford couple and the achievement of Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status through the Australian Cultural Fund, a Federal Government initiative that encourages donations to the arts.
The generous $20,000 gift, made by donors who wish to remain anonymous, comes at a pivotal moment for the community-driven project. The new DGR status means that future donations to the Cinema Group are now tax-deductible, a significant step forward in helping the group reach its $150,000 fundraising target for essential equipment.
Over the Melbourne Cup Weekend, a three-night event hosted and promoted by David and Yuge Bromley at the Bromley Gallery added further momentum to the fundraising campaign, bringing the total raised during the weekend to around $50,000.
More than $19,000 was raised through the sale of six original Bromley paintings, with another three artworks raffled. Raffle tickets are still available at the Bromley Gallery in Vincent Street, Daylesford with the the winners to be drawn on December 6.
During the event, guests were treated to a screening of Light After Dark, the multi-award-winning documentary about David Bromley. The film offers a deeply personal exploration of Bromley’s life and struggles with mental health, charting his journey through grief, loss and anxiety to a present filled with creativity, love, and family.
The Bromleys’ generosity has been central to the Phoenix@TheRex project, from creating artwork for the cinema’s Phoenix logo and design elements for The Block’s art deco interior, to hosting fundraising events and donating their own artwork to the cause.
Organisers expressed heartfelt thanks to David and Yuge Bromley, their team: Elle, Josh, Frankie, projectionist John Jenkin and the many volunteers who contributed to the success of the Cup Weekend event. Mooltan Guest House also provided delicious canapés each evening, accompanied by drinks from Bromley & Co.
With the boost from the Bromleys and the anonymous local donors, the Phoenix@TheRex Cinema project continues to gather pace. Community generosity, now supported by the incentive of tax-deductible donations, brings the dream of a vibrant local cinema ever closer to reality.
