Ballarat Screenings and VR Installations Defining City's Creative and Cultural Identity

Ballarat will host three films and one VR experience from the Melbourne International Film Festival program at two city venues from 15 July.

The decision arrives as Ballarat pushes to expand its year-round cultural offerings beyond heritage tourism. Council records show the city approved extra funding for arts programming in the 2025-26 budget after visitor numbers at major events rose 18 per cent in the previous financial year.

Screenings will take place at the Regent Cinemas complex on Sturt Street and at the Ballarat Mechanics' Institute on the same thoroughfare. The VR work, described in festival notes as an immersive piece on regional landscapes, will run in the institute's main hall for four days.

Venues and programs already in place

The Mechanics' Institute has run a monthly film discussion group since March 2025 that draws between 40 and 60 people each session. Nearby, the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Lydiard Street has added a digital media studio that opened in February and now offers six-week courses in short-form video production for 120 participants so far.

These sites sit within the central business district, where foot traffic data collected by the City of Ballarat shows a 12 per cent increase in evening visits on weekends since the start of 2026.

Numbers and next steps for residents

Ticket sales opened on 10 July at $22 per session. Early figures released by the Regent indicate 340 seats reserved in the first 48 hours. The full MIFF regional program across Victoria expects 25 000 attendances this year, with Ballarat allocated 1 800 places.

Residents can book through the Regent box office or the Mechanics' Institute website. Sessions run at 6.30 pm on weekdays and 2 pm on the weekend, with the VR installation open from 10 am to 8 pm daily during its run.