How to support Canada’s independent cinemas
- Executive Summary
- What is the independent cinema sector?
- Canadian film needs Canadian cinemas
- The shift back to theatrical
- What independent cinemas bring to Canadian communities
- Independents need support with: Cineplex and ‘zones’
- Independents need support with: ‘Clean runs’ from studios
- Independents need support with: Capacity to grow
- Act now: Write a letter to support your favourite independent cinema!
Anonymous NICE member
In December of 2022, we were informed that in order to screen Avatar: The Way of Water, we would have to pay Disney 64% of our total sales and host a clean run for four consecutive weeks. We had previously booked two comedians for a Live Showcase for early January, but were informed that we could have our Disney license revoked and lose out on all future Disney films if we ran the event. We felt as if we were strong-armed into canceling our show. That day, we screened Avatar and made a total of $243.05 in ticket sales after they took their 64%.
Some studios require two, three and four week runs for films on release. These are called ‘clean runs’ as they only accommodate a single film playing in absolutely every showtime. These studios will deny any request to spare a single showtime.
Anonymous NICE member
I cannot participate in National Canadian Film Day, which is a one-day coordinated event across the country in which cinemas show a Canadian film for free, because I am limited by my agreement to show The Super Mario Bros. Movie for three weeks straight.
Anonymous NICE member
The fact is that there are no showtimes available in our own cinema to present the kind of value-added, bespoke screenings that would get our community excited and engaged.
Many of Canada’s most beautiful and critical cinemas are single-screen venues in rural areas, often the only cultural experience in their respective towns. These cinemas must diversify to all audiences’ desires.
Lisa Milne, Royal Theatre, Trail, BC
We know our audiences, what they want to see, when they want to see it, and how long a given film will be successful at the box office in our community. We know we would sell more tickets more often and to more diverse audiences, in turn making more money for distributors and for our own cinema.
Many of these locations are decades old, built on busy main streets and are unable to expand their footprint due to existing neighbouring infrastructure. These cinemas are the most at risk of permanently closing. Likewise, these are the cinemas that are hit the hardest by the stringent expectations of clean runs.
Lack of Clarity
The studios’ clean runs are also amorphous in length. Disney also commits cinemas to an ‘imaginary’ week after the initial agreement.
Anonymous NICE member
Ant-Man was a two-week commitment, but we were told that week three would be ‘a look.’ This means that if my second weekend grosses were high, I would be forced to play the film for a third week. Sounds reasonable, right? However, Disney does not provide cinemas with what the grosses need to be for that to happen. Is it $1,000, $2,000, $5,000? We are stalled with booking or marketing any new films for the imaginary third week as Disney ‘owns’ it.
Impact
As with fair access to film, this situation reduces the economic and cultural impact of the entire film exhibition ecosystem, because it limits choice in a non-competitive manner.
Clean runs have significant cultural impact:
- Canadian film has an extremely poor chance of ever reaching these screens and communities
- Cinemas cannot spare even a single showtime to hold a special screening of a Canadian film
- Cinemas in this compromised position are less able to make creative choices in programming, which can include Canadian films
- Without diversified revenue opportunities through films and events, these cinemas risk closure
- Canadian audiences lack choice of what they can see in their local community
The business risks for the impacted cinemas include:
- Jeopardizes community trust in the cinema: When a cinema is forced into several clean runs per year, diverse audience interests aren’t being met
- Inability to program films at appropriate times, for example kids films as matinees and films aimed at adult audience in the evening
- The community stops checking the cinema website and communications because of what may seem to be an interminable run
- Demonstrated dramatic drop in revenue after the first week of a run is consistent in many rural venues
- Extremely short turnaround time to advertise a new film in the ‘imaginary’ week that appends a Disney film run
- Multiplexes which may be located an hour or more drive away become more appealing as they are able to offer more films due to having more screens
Solution
Empower cinemas to schedule their own screens in a way that maximizes box office for the entire film ecosystem and creates opportunity for Canadian film.
Act now: Write a letter to support your favourite independent cinema!
How to support Canada’s independent cinemas
- Executive Summary
- What is the independent cinema sector?
- Canadian film needs Canadian cinemas
- The shift back to theatrical
- What independent cinemas bring to Canadian communities
- Independents need support with: Cineplex and ‘zones’
- Independents need support with: ‘Clean runs’ from studios
- Independents need support with: Capacity to grow
- Act now: Write a letter to support your favourite independent cinema!
