MUNDARING’S Kookaburra Outdoor Cinema is scheduled to reopen next month after months of repairs following the storm it endured in January.

Late last week, the cinema screen repairs were finally completed, replacing the original screen built in the mid-1990s, and it is now scheduled to reopen on November 22.

The cinema’s screen was severely damaged when a tree fell on it and caused the centre to bulge forward as reported in Kookaburra Cinema future uncertain after storm.

Owner Peter Foyster said the prisoners from Wooroloo Prison Farm have done an outstanding job in clearing debris both inside the cinema’s seating area and the car park.

“If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t be able to reopen,” he said.

“I know people in the (Mundaring) community also offered to help, but the prisoners were totally organised.

“A whole bunch of them came in and they got it done really quickly.”

The prisoners began helping clear the debris and repairing the cinema’s fence earlier in the year as reported in Prisoners help local landmark cinema get back in business.

Mr Foyster said he still needed to test the lighting, set up seats, start booking films and getting advertisers in the lead-up to what will likely be his last season.

“I’ve made it known around the traps that the last season would be my last, but of course, the storm happened,” he said.

“I was hoping maybe a community group could take it over and keep it running for a very good price, but I’m certainly not going to just give it away.”

Mr Foyster said in the upcoming season, he will be aiming to secure screenings of Paddington in Peru and also screen Dirty Dancing, which was scheduled before the storm disrupted plans.

“I don’t have the exact date but Paddington should screen in mid-December,” he said.

“I also got an offer from a local filmmaker whose documentaries I’ve shown here before and she offered to let me have one of her movies for free.

“I may take her up on that and maybe have a free screening for the locals.”

Mr Foyster said he was eager to welcome his patrons back to Kookaburra Cinema and was counting on them to help deliver a successful final season.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again,” he said.

“I’m counting on good patronage because we’ve taken quite a hiding financially.

“There’s a lot of other expenses we’ve had and so we might be a bit light on the Choc Tops when we first reopen.”

Since Wednesday evening, the projector tests have been completed with clearer picture quality now available at the cinema.