The specific function of cinemagoing, as opposed to other forms of screen story engagement, is beginning to be far better understood in terms of individual wellbeing and community cohesion. Australia consistently has one of the highest per capita box office results in the world, yet cinemagoing as an intervention in social prescribing remains an underresearched area with significant potential. Aligning strongly to the conference themes of Enrichment, Connection and Community, this Oral presentation will draw on Dr Elkington’s Chief Investigator work with QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre and his co-leadership of the Resilient Screens research project. He will present preliminary research findings about the positive intervention cinemagoing may be able to make in self-reported senses of wellbeing in Australian audiences. There is promising evidence internationally. In the UK, Medicinema has pioneered the installation of fully functioning cinemas in hospitals, enabling patients to experience shared screenings that demonstrably improve mood and reduce isolation. While the model is resource-intensive, it highlights the therapeutic potential of cinemagoing. Extending this logic to the community level, our own survey of 6,000 cinemagoers found that 81% reported cinemagoing enhanced their overall wellbeing. Similarly, community screenings in Logan at the Kingston Butter Factory, supported by Screen Queensland, have provided qualitative affirmation: participants consistently described “the going” element—the chance to leave home, share a cultural experience, and engage in structured conversation—as central to combating loneliness and building connection. The research question underpinning this presentation is: How might community cinemagoing be integrated into social prescribing frameworks in Australia, and what measurable impacts could it have on wellbeing and social isolation? By situating cinemagoing within public health debates and cultural policy, this paper argues for cinema’s recognition as more than “just going to the movies” but as a low-barrier, scalable positive intervention into social and emotional health.