I’ve been having the same argument with people in the industry for about five years now. Is streaming good or bad for Australian cinema? The answer, predictably, is that it’s both, and that framing the question as binary misses what’s actually happening.

The Numbers Tell a Complicated Story

Let me put some rough figures on the table. A mid-range Australian drama released theatrically in 2025 might do $500,000 to $2 million at the domestic box office. That same film, if it lands on Stan or a similar platform, might reach 50,000 to 200,000 viewers in its first month of availability. The economics are completely different, but the audience reach comparison is instructive.

The box office number looks better in dollar terms, but it represents maybe 30,000 to 100,000 actual viewers. The streaming number represents significantly more eyeballs, even if the per-viewer revenue is lower.

Where Different Genres Land

Not all Australian films have the same distribution destiny, and that’s fine. Here’s the pattern I’ve observed.

Horror and genre films do best with a theatrical-first strategy, followed by streaming. The theatrical window builds buzz and positions the film as an event. Australian horror has been particularly good at this lately, with films building word-of-mouth through limited cinema runs before hitting platforms.

Dramas and character pieces increasingly do better going direct to platform. The audience for a quiet Australian drama is often more comfortable discovering it at home than making a special trip to the cinema. This isn’t a reflection of quality. It’s a reflection of how people consume these types of stories.

Documentaries have been the biggest beneficiaries of the streaming shift. A documentary that might have played to a few hundred people across a festival run and a token theatrical release can now reach tens of thousands on a streaming platform. For documentary filmmakers, this has been transformative.

Comedies remain the most unpredictable. Some Australian comedies do surprisingly well theatrically because they work as social experiences. Others sink without trace in cinemas but find audiences on platforms through recommendation algorithms.

The Stan Factor

Stan’s investment in Australian content has been the single biggest shift in the local distribution landscape. Stan Originals have given Australian filmmakers a guaranteed audience and a viable business model that doesn’t depend on box office performance.

But there’s a tension here. Stan’s programming team naturally gravitates toward content that serves their subscriber base, which means the more experimental or challenging end of Australian filmmaking doesn’t necessarily find a home there. The platform is great for accessible Australian content. It’s less interested in the kind of boundary-pushing work that festivals champion.

What Filmmakers Should Do

If you’re an Australian filmmaker thinking about distribution strategy, here’s my practical advice.

First, decide what kind of audience relationship you want. If your film is a communal experience that benefits from audience reaction, fight for a theatrical release. If it’s a more intimate viewing experience, a platform strategy might serve the film better.

Second, think about windowing. The traditional model of theatrical first, then platform, still works for certain films. But an increasing number of Australian films are finding that day-and-date release, where the film hits cinemas and a platform simultaneously, actually maximises total audience.

Third, don’t dismiss international platforms. Some Australian films have found larger audiences on international streamers than they ever would have domestically. The global reach of platforms means an Australian film can connect with audiences in places traditional distribution would never have reached.

The Festival-to-Platform Pipeline

One pattern that’s working well is using festival premieres to build profile and critical acclaim, then using that momentum for a strong platform launch. A film that premieres at MIFF or SFF with good reviews and audience responses has a much stronger pitch to platform buyers than one that goes directly to market. Some distributors are now working with business AI solutions providers to model optimal release windows and platform placement strategies based on audience data.

The festival circuit isn’t just about prestige anymore. It’s a marketing engine for the streaming era. Smart filmmakers and producers are treating their festival strategy as the first phase of their distribution plan, not a separate activity.

The Cinema Experience Still Matters

I want to be clear about something: I love cinema. I love sitting in a dark room with strangers and experiencing a film together. I think something important is lost when every film is consumed on a couch with a phone nearby. The cinema experience matters, and Australian films deserve to be seen on big screens.

But I’m also realistic. Most Australians aren’t going to the cinema to see local films in meaningful numbers. If the choice is between a small cinema audience and a large streaming audience, I’d rather the film gets seen. The goal should be to maximise the audience for Australian stories, regardless of the screen size they’re watched on.