Cinefamilja provides a number of facilities that help make the experience both comfortable and enjoyable.
Parking
Free parking spaces are just a stone’s throw away from the cinema.
Food & Drink
The cinema is only complete if you can indulge in your favourite snacks and we’ve got some tasty options for our audiences!
Digital quality
With the introduction of digital cinema technology, audiences can enjoy eye-popping image quality in 2D with 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
Wheelchair access
There is full wheelchair access to make the venue inclusive and welcoming to all who just want to catch that movie release they have been looking forward to.
The Oratory Don Bosco, in St Augustine’s Square in Victoria Gozo, officially opened its doors on 8th October 1949. A few years later, in May 1951, the Oratory Cinema was inaugurated, or as it was known at the time, the ‘talkies”. Since its inception, Cinefamilja has sought to offer healthy entertainment to children and families. The first film was “Joan of Arc” starring Ingrid Bergman, produced in 1948. In the initial years, crowds flocked to the cinema and sometimes there weren’t enough seats for everyone. Great classics such as “The Robe”, “King of Kings”, “The Ten Commandments”, “Ben-Hur”, “Quo Vadis”, “El Cid”, “Spartacus”, “The Sound of Music”, “The King and I”, “7 Brides for Seven Brothers” and many others have graced the screen of the Oratory cinema and entertained countless local movie-goers.
At the beginning of the 1980s, cinema admissions in Malta and Gozo started declining. This was largely due to the introduction of colour television and videos. This had a negative impact on local cinemas, some of which had to close their doors. Audiences started growing smaller and smaller even at the Oratory Cinema. “BMX Bandits”, shown on 30th March 1986, was the last film for the time.
The 1990s marked a new era in the local scenario as new cinemas started opening, offering state-of-the art technology and facilities that had never been seen before. This attracted large crowds who wanted to watch the latest releases or their favourite films on the big screen. Cinefamilja reopened its doors on Sunday 6th February 1994 with the film “Home Alone 2-Lost in New York”. Although the quality of the sound system and projectors had remained the same, children and families still rushed to the cinema.
In January 2006, the Oratory cinema purchased a new projector from the German company, Kinoton, as well as a Dolby Sound Processor. The Oratory continued investing in its cinema by changing the old screen for a larger one. The total amount was 12,000 Maltese lira , which is roughly equivalent to 28,000 euro. These projects were necessary in order to keep up with the latest changes and trends in the film industry. The first film shown with the new projector was “Herbie Fully Loaded”. However the greatest upgrade was in 2014, when the 35mm print became obsolete and all cinemas worldwid, including Cinefamilja, had to switch to digital. This meant that the old film equipment and sound system had to be replaced by a new, digital projector and Dolby Surround Sound system.
Nowadays, Cinefamilja offers a high-quality experience for movie-goers. Films are shown every Sunday at 5.30pm between September and May. During these months, special films are also shown on weekdays and screenings for school children and other groups are also available on demand.
