Stathi Raftopoulos is pictured at his home cinema at his residence in Sylvander Street North Balwyn. In 1949 Stathi Raftopoulos imported the first Greek film into Australia, entitled 'Voice of the Heart'. It was screened at Nicholas Hall in Lonsdale Street. Stathis went on to become a travelling picture show man showing Greek films to the Greeks in regional centres around Australia. He later established a film distribution and exhibition company, The Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures, in partnership with Mr Panayioti (Peter) Giannoudis. With the advent of television in the 1950, former suburban picture theatres were being closed down. Stathi and Peter took over many of these cinemas to show imported Greek films to the post WWII burgeoning Greek community.A coloured photograph of a man seated on a red theatre seat in a home cinema. Posters, photographs and film memorabilia are displayed on the three surrounding wallsWritten on the back : 520/BAhome theatres, greek movies

Stathi Raftopoulos was passionate about film and often showed movies to family and friends in his home cinema. He was a keen promoter of Greek film which he screened to the wider public as a travelling picture show man and later through the chain of Greek cinemas he was a partner in.A coloured photograph of a man standing next to a film projector in his home cinema. Two Greek film posters are on the wall behind him.

Stathi Raftopoulos is pictured with a group of friends his home cinema which was located in the basement of his home in North Balwyn. The basement area also contained film and cinema memorabilia collected by Stathi over the decades. The seating is from an old cinema. Pictured is Stathi Raftopoulos (standing) and seated to the right is Michael Black and Paul Connell. Others are unidentified.Stathis Raftopoulos was a pioneer in promoting and screening Greek movies in Melbourne.Black & White photograph ( enlarged) with white border, slightly faded of group of 10 men in two rows at Stathis Raftopoulos's house in his basement theater in Nortth Balwyn.

Stathy Raftopoulos was instrumental in bring Greek films to Melbourne and screened them in various picture theatres in the inner Melbourne suburbs where most post WW2 migrants were living. Prior to the opening of Greek cinemas various venues were used for screenings including Nicholas Hall in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.With the advent of television many suburban cinemas were no longer drawing the crowds. It was at this time that Stathi Raftopoulos with his partners in the Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures company purchased cinemas in the in suburbs of Melbourne where Greek immigrants were living - in 1960 the National Theatre in Richmond; 1961 the Sun Theatre Yarraville; 1965, the Paramount Theatre Oakleigh, Kinema Theatre Albert Park, and the Empire Theatre Brunswick and Westgarth Theatre Northcote. Here they screened Greek movies which entertained the Greek community supporting them to maintain their link with Greece and their culture and traditions. A black and white photograph of a man standing between two film projectors in a room.