Virtual cinema is a

video-on-demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...

streaming service facilitated by independent film distributors and art-house theaters to release new films and share profits. Under the service, part of the admission price supports a physically located theater.

Background

As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, movie theaters were closed down for public safety. In 2020 from March through April, virtual cinema proliferated during the theaters' closures. Several distributors of independent films, including

Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art house films, ...

Film Movement Film Movement is a North American distributor of independent and foreign films, which is based in New York City, founded in 2003. History Film Movement was founded in 2003, and has released more than 250 feature films and shorts. Having grown fr ...

, and

Music Box Films Music Box Films is a distributor of foreign and independent film in theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray, and video-on-demand markets in the United States. Based in Chicago, Music Box Films is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corpor ...

, were early adopters. The initiative grew to involve theater chains and film festivals that were affected by the pandemic. Major specialty chains

Alamo Drafthouse The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, which is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the movie, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiq ...

and

Laemmle Theaters Laemmle Theatres ( ) is a group of family-run arthouse movie theaters in the Los Angeles area. It was established in 1938Richard Verrier A Hollywood opening for downton cinema October 24, 2009 Los Angeles Times and is owned and operated by Robe ...

began partnering with the distributors. The strategy is recognized as a way for distributors to make up for lost box office sales and to empower moviegoers to support their local theater.

Examples

In April 2020, in response to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

crisis, the re-release of actress turned director

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's ''Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Dougl ...

's documentaries (including the 1986 Oscar-winning ''

Down and Out in America ''Down and Out in America'' is a 1986 American Oscar-winning documentary film directed by Academy Award winner Lee Grant. Summary It is a biting critique of Reaganomics and exploration of poverty in the United States. It won an Academy Award for B ...

'') was re-imagined as one of the first examples of virtual cinema and became "the first virtual repertory series." Other "virtual cinema" examples included the animated films ''

Trolls World Tour ''Trolls World Tour'' (often named as ''Trolls 2: World Tour'') is a 2020 American computer-animated musical comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls created by ...

'' and ''

Scoob! ''SCOOB!'' is a 2020 American computer-animated mystery comedy film produced by the Warner Animation Group, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is a reboot of the theatrical'' Scooby-Doo'' film series and the third theatrical film b ...

'' alongside the

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...

library provided by

GKIDS GKIDS is an American film distributor based in New York with, according to the ''Los Angeles Times'', a focus on "sophisticated, indie" animation. GKIDS releases critically acclaimed, mostly hand-drawn, international films—such as the works o ...

.‘Trolls World Tour’ and ‘Scoob!’ Aren’t Only Options for Kids Who Love Movies — Streaming Wars, IndieWire
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External links

Virtual Cinema articles at IndieWire

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , last=Erbland , first=Kate , url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/04/virtual-cinema-guide-1202226844/ , title=Streaming Wars: Virtual Cinemas Offer Haven for Cinephiles and Struggling Theaters Alike , work=

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...

, date=April 24, 2020 , access-date=April 26, 2020 {{cite news , last=Faughderstaff , first=Ryan , url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-04-08/your-local-cinema-is-closed-because-of-coronavirus-heres-how-you-can-help-save-it , title=During coronavirus closures, indie movie theaters turn to online 'screenings' , work=

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

, date=April 8, 2020 , access-date=April 26, 2020 {{cite news , last=Kenigsberg , first=Ben , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/movies/streaming-vod-guide.html , title=VOD, Streaming or Virtual Cinema? Your Guide to Digital Movie Options , work=

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, date=April 24, 2020 , access-date=April 26, 2020 Film distribution Video on demand services 2020s in film Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema

Background

Examples

See also

External links

References