Boxoffice Pro - September 2022

$6.95 / September 2022
25 YEARS
OF ALAMO
DRAFTHOUSE
How a local movie theater in Austin, Texas,
grew to become one of the world’s most
influential cinema circuits
CINÉSHOW
2022
Full coverage of this
year's event in Dallas
The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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September 2022
CONTENTS
34
25 Years of Alamo
Drafthouse
How a Local Movie Theater in
Austin, Texas, Grew to Become
One of the World’s Most
Influential Cinema Circuits
24
Dine-In Overview
Highlights from Omdia’s Latest
Report on the Dine-In Cinema
Sector
46
The Moviegoer’s Guide
to Austin
A Cinephile’s Complete Guide
to One of the World’s Most
Vibrant Exhibition Scenes
60
A Vision for the Future
CineShow 2022 Visionary
Award: Interview with Jamie
and Jeff Benson, Founders,
Cinergy Entertainment
66
From Popcorn to the
Pizza Pub
Frank Liberto Award: Interview
with Joel Davis, Chief Operating
Officer, Premiere Cinemas
September 2022
03

CONTENTS
INDUSTRY THEATER ON SCREEN
10
12
14
18
22
24
NATO
Now Is the Time to Come Together
to Ensure the Growth of Theatrical
Exhibition
NATO
Making Sense of Theatrical’s Time
Frame for Recovery
Charity Spotlight
A Recap of Industry-Wide Charity
Initiatives
Industry Insiders
Christina Blumer is Will Rogers’s
New Executive Director
CineEurope Recap
Our Dispatch from Europe’s Most
Important Exibition Convention
Dine-In Overview
Highlights from Omdia’s Report on
the Dine-In Cinema Sector
28
34
46
Indie Focus
Interview with Nicolas Nicolaou,
Owner of Alpine Cinema (Brooklyn),
Cinema Village (Manhattan) and
Cinemart Cinemas (Queens)
25 Years of Alamo Drafthouse
How a Local Movie Theater in Austin,
Texas Grew to Become One of the
World’s Most Influential Cinema
Circuits
The Moviegoer’s Guide to Austin
From the Alamo Drafthouse to the
Violet Crown, a Cinephile’s Complete
Guide to One of the World’s Most
Vibrant Exhibition Scenes
78
80
Event Cinema Calendar
A Sampling of Event Cinema
Programming Hitting the Big
Screen in 2022
Booking Guide
“Unfortunately, in these
past 50 years, I’ve seen
neighborhood theater after
neighborhood theater
turn into a McDonald’s or
a drugstore. That makes
us a poorer, less healthy
community.”
Indie Focus, p. 28
CINÉSHOW
60
66
70
72
Visionary Award
CinéShow 2022 Visionary Award:
Interview with Jamie and Jeff
Benson, Founders, Cinergy
Entertainment
Frank Liberto Award
CinéShow 2022 Frank Liberto Award:
Interview with Joel Davis, Chief
Operating Officer, Premiere Cinemas
Lifetime Acheivement
CinéShow Honors NATO’s
Belinda Judson with Lifetime
Achievement Award
Texan of the Year
Cinemark’s Don Harton is Variety of
Texas’s 2022 Texan of the Year
04 September 2022

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06 September 2022

EXECUTIVE LETTER
RAISING A GLASS
TO THE FUTURE
After two years of struggles, it’s a
great feeling to be able to finish the
summer with a stable box office and an
exciting slate of upcoming titles. The domestic
market surpassed the $4.4 billion
earned in 2021 during the month of July.
While we are unlikely to hit $10 billion
this year, the 2023 schedule looks promising
enough to suggest that we could
return to a pre-pandemic annual attendance
by next year. As we look forward
together, this edition of our magazine
explores some of the most innovative
companies and executives working in our
industry today.
This issue’s cover story commemorates
the 25th anniversary of Alamo Drafthouse.
Our in-depth look at the circuit’s
history shows that what started out as
a mom-and-pop local cinema in Austin,
Texas, has grown into one of the most
recognizable brands in exhibition. Our
Alamo Drafthouse piece is complemented
by the inaugural entry of our Moviegoer’s
Guide series, where we look at Alamo’s
influence on its hometown and profile
other leading exhibitors of Austin’s
vibrant cinema scene.
August is the month of CinéShow, and
our event coverage includes interviews
with this year’s honorees: Belinda Judson
is retiring from a long tenure defending
the interests of exhibition on behalf of the
National Association of Theatre Owners.
Joel Davis, honored as this year’s recipient
of the Frank Liberto Award, looks back
on his career at Premiere Cinemas and
the innovations he’s introduced to his
circuit’s moviegoing experience. Jeff
and Jamie Benson, pioneers of both the
dine-in and cinema entertainment center
concepts as founders of Movie Tavern
and their current circuit, Cinergy, recount
their years as industry trailblazers. We
also speak with Cinemark veteran Don
Harton, who is receiving Variety of
Texas’s Texan of the Year Award.
We’re overjoyed that regional
exhibition conventions in the United
States are back up and running. If you
plan on attending CinéShow, Geneva, or
ShowEast, be on the lookout for me and
our Boxoffice Pro team. We’re looking
forward to reconnecting in person and
raising a glass to the future of exhibition.
Daniel Loria
SVP Content Strategy and Editorial Director
Boxoffice Pro
While we are unlikely to
hit $10 billion this year,
the 2023 schedule looks
promising enough to suggest
that we could return to
a pre-pandemic annual
attendance by next year.
September 2022
07

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NATO 10 | Charity Spotlight 14 | Industry Insiders 18 | Dine-In Cinemas 24
INDUSTRY
If [CineEurope] 2021 recognized the industry’s resilience, this
year’s event celebrated its revitalization.
CineEurope Recap, p. 22
September 2022
09

Industry NATO
SEIZE THE DAY
Now Is the Time to Come Together to Ensure the
Growth of Theatrical Exhibition
BY JOHN FITHIAN
Movie fans of all
demographics have shown
their willingness to come
back to the cinema in strong
numbers, as long as there are
movies they want to see.
As I write this column in early July,
we have seen great expansion in
the box office. The positive trends are
growing with older audiences (Top Gun
and Elvis) and family audiences (Minions),
the two groups some industry critics said
would never come back to the cinema.
Numbers on many individual movies are
setting records.
Yet as some of you read this in early
September you may be asking, “Why did
the box office slow down again?” It’s all
about the movies—or the lack of them.
We had a relatively consistent flow of
commercial movie releases in April
through July, but then that supply slowed
down. Movie fans of all demographics
have shown their willingness to come
back to the cinema in strong numbers, as
long as there are movies they want to see.
I have confidence that the late fall and
winter slate, and then the schedule in
2023, will accelerate the expansion, even
if August and September are, well, August
and September.
Over the longer term, the exhibition
business is indeed growing again after
two very difficult years. During those two
years, most of the cinema industry was
consumed with triage, crisis management,
and survival—just trying to keep the boat
afloat. Now we can all grab oars again and
start rowing forward.
It is time for NATO, our theater operator
members, and our partners across the
industry (creatives, distributors, suppliers
of technology, F&B, and others) to seize this
opportunity to come together to ensure the
continued long-term growth of theatrical
exhibition through advocacy, collaboration,
research and data, industry promotion,
volunteerism, and financial support of the
institutions involved in all of this.
Here are some ideas for your
consideration.
Work Together to Support and Expand
the Consistent Theatrical Release of
Movies of Diverse Content, Appealing
to Diverse Audiences, with Robust
Periods of Exclusivity
The lifeblood of cinema is movies,
diverse in nature and released consistently
throughout the calendar with
sufficient windows. The business model
works if we all work at it. Creatives should
raise the issue of theatrical release with
windows in their initial deals to make
movies, not after the movie is made or
never at all. Specifically, guarantees of
a theatrical release with a stipulated
window should be incorporated into
contracts to make movies.
Distributors should work within their
studios to push for renewed and winning
slates of theatrically released movies and
demonstrate through data that a straightto-streaming
model just isn’t as profitable.
Exhibitors should continue to innovate
and improve the moviegoing experience
and ensure the sight and sound that can’t
be found at home, so that creatives and
distributors continue to prioritize the
exclusive initial release of their movies
in theaters. And finally, distributors
and exhibitors should discuss windows
every time a movie is booked—not as
antagonists, but as partners searching for
the best business models.
NATO will continue to advocate for
this No. 1 priority for the industry. The
Cinema Foundation will undertake
research to provide the data to support
these business models and will guide
innovation in the industry to preserve
and enhance the superiority of the
moviegoing experience. And CinemaCon
will continue to highlight and celebrate
the amazing range of movies to be offered
theatrically.
Advocate for Government Policies
Advantageous to Cinema, and
against Misguided Policies That
Would Damage the Industry
There can be no moviegoing experience
without profitable movie theater operators.
During the pandemic, lobbying of governments
at the federal, state, and local levels
was essential to surviving the crisis. Using
the NATO safety protocols, we all lobbied
together to reopen cinemas and to seek tax
and grant relief for exhibitors of all sizes.
We were so inspired by our creative partners
when more than 110 leading movie
directors and producers signed a letter of
support for cinemas to the U.S. Congress.
And of course, the grassroots efforts of
NATO members were crucial.
As we move forward, the industry must
be vigilant against government proposals
that might hold back our growth—from
misguided tax and regulatory proposals
to censorship. We need NATO members
to activate when grassroots alerts go
out, and to join us in Washington when
Capitol Hill days are scheduled. And as
exhibitors, we must continue to join with
our creative and studio partners, as well
as the Motion Picture Association, in
lobbying efforts to prevent movie theft
and protect intellectual property.
Support the Voluntary Movie Rating
System
The Classification and Ratings
Administration (CARA) oversees a voluntary
movie rating system that gives
parents the information they need to
make informed choices about their
children’s moviegoing selections. This
voluntary rating system also serves as an
alternative to government censorship and
criminal sanctions, which are common
in some other countries. The MPA and
NATO developed the rules for CARA and
10 September 2022

We must continue to join
with our creative and studio
partners, as well as the
Motion Picture Association,
in lobbying efforts to prevent
movie theft and protect
intellectual property.
operate the appeals board for the organization.
But it is the members of the MPA
and the members of NATO who carry out
the mission of CARA every day. Please do
your part to support this important system.
Exhibitors must enforce the rating
system in your theaters. Help to educate
guests about the valuable information
that ratings and ratings explanations
provide. Distributors and creatives must
support the application of appropriate ratings
to their movies. Now that moviegoing
is coming back full steam, the importance
of these efforts has returned too.
Volunteer to Help Industry Growth
through Organizations That Support
the Industry
There are many ways to donate a little of
your time to organizations that support
the growth of the industry.
Exhibitors should join and support
the work of NATO and the Cinema
Foundation. There are many committees
and task forces that carry out the work of
the association. Working through these
committees, NATO now has the most
active and numerous voluntary members
in its history. Here are some numbers:
• 3,215 recipients of general NATO updates
(all NATO member personnel)
• 619 members of various committees and
task forces
• 19% individual committee participation
• 309 member companies represented on
committees and task forces out of 1,104
member companies
• 28% member companies represented on
committees and task forces
If you are a NATO member and want to
find out how you can get more involved in
NATO, send an email to NATO’s director
of membership, Erin Von Hoetzendorff,
at evh@natoca.com. At the same time,
get involved in the Cinema Foundation
too, by contacting its executive
director, Bryan Braunlich, at bryan@
thecinemafoundation.org.
Others in the industry can volunteer
to work with their own representative
bodies, such as the Motion Picture
Association (MPA), the Directors Guild
of America (DGA), the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the
Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers (SMPTE), and many others.
NATO frequently partners with these
organizations on common goals. And very
importantly, others in the industry can
also now participate in the work of the
Cinema Foundation—the first all-industry
body for collaboration—by contacting
Bryan at the email address above.
Support the Work of the New Cinema
Foundation
I have alluded to the Cinema Foundation
throughout this column, but the foundation
deserves its own shout-out. Just
launched publicly at CinemaCon in April,
the Cinema Foundation provides a new
and historic way for all industry members
to support the growth of cinema. As has
been described in more detail in previous
editions of this magazine, foundation
areas of focus will include staffing issues
and diversity, creative community
involvement, industry promotion, innovation
and technology, research and data,
and charity support.
I truly believe that the Cinema
Foundation will do more to advance and
grow the moviegoing experience than
any other new initiative in the history of
NATO. And one exciting element of the
foundation is that representatives from all
sectors of the industry can work together
as equal partners at the foundation.
The Cinema Foundation needs your
support—both your time and, if possible,
your money. The work of the foundation
will not be on a “pay-to-play” system, as
financial support is not a requirement for
substantive participation. Nonetheless,
this 501(c)(3) organization can only
succeed if it has the budget to do so.
For more information, go to
www.thecinemafoundation.org.
At NATO, CinemaCon, and the
Cinema Foundation, we are all so excited
about the return to growth in theatrical
exhibition. It is a privilege to work in this
great industry.
John Fithian is President & CEO of the
National Association of Theatre Owners.
CONGRATULATIONS
In addition to diving into the issues
of the day, I want to give a congratulatory
shout-out to my longtime
colleague and friend, Belinda
Judson. The leaders of CineShow
have rightfully decided to honor
Belinda at their convention, and
she deserves that honor. With a
background in exhibition, Belinda
has served nearly 30 years in leadership
roles at NATO and various
NATO regional organizations and
has been a strong and strategic
defender of exhibitors’ interests.
She is loved across this industry for
her positive spirit and dedication.
Well done, Belinda!
September 2022
11

industry NATO
WHERE DO
WE START?
Making Sense of Theatrical’s
Time Frame for Recovery
BY PATRICK CORCORAN
We are simultaneously
post-pandemic, struggling
with audiences’ pandemic
fears, recovered, recovering,
setting box office records,
and lagging behind 2019.
Sometimes it seems as if we live in
the past, the present, and the future
all at the same time, and sometimes it
seems as if the past is the only thing that
changes. The internet and social media
have made it possible to mine alternative
pasts and fit them to your current sense of
the present or point to a current phenomenon
and declare it the future.
The pandemic has exacerbated this
sense of being out of time—as I write this,
on March 862nd, 2020 (you may call it
July 11, 2022; I don’t judge), our industry
is, as ever, subject to a choose-your-ownadventure
sense of time. We are simultaneously
post-pandemic, struggling with
audiences’ pandemic fears, recovered,
recovering, setting box office records, and
lagging behind 2019.
It all depends on when you choose
to start counting. Was it December 17,
2021? Maybe it should have been. That
was the opening day for Spider-Man: No
Way Home, an absolute theatrical sensation,
with the second-highest opening
weekend box office in North America,
the third-highest domestic gross ever
($804M), and the sixth-highest worldwide
gross ever ($1.9B). This as the Omicron
variant of Covid was exploding.
But somehow, moviegoing was not
back. Despite the fact that families turned
out in droves, and audiences over age 45
attended in the exact same proportion
as the opening of Avengers: Endgame
(accounting for roughly 2 million admissions
opening weekend), conventional
wisdom held that older audiences were
unwilling to return to the movies. Many
pointed at disappointing results for
adult-skewing prestige titles over the
holidays, but generally ignored that those
movies’ box office was probably more
challenged by simultaneous release to the
home than by fears of the virus.
Consider: Biweekly surveys by NRG
consistently showed that older moviegoers
believed movie theaters to be safer than
every other polled indoor activity, yet bars
were bustling, restaurants were packed,
and music venues were humming. So why
not movie theaters? Bars had alcohol, restaurants
had food, nightclubs had music.
Imagine if those bars only sold light beer,
restaurants only had salads, and music
venues only had bassoons (I like bassoons
as much as the next guy, but …).
We received frequent advice that
movie theaters needed to mount a campaign
to convince older moviegoers that
cinemas were safe. But Spider-Man’s
success and the relatively empty quarter
that followed told us something important.
We simply did not have the breadth
and number of movies that would tell
audiences things were back to normal.
January would see a total of five wide
releases (more than 1,000 screens). 2019
had four on January 11 alone. For the
entire first quarter, there would be 24
Monthly domestic box office
Number of wide releases
1.5B
40
1B
30
0.5B
2019
20
2022
10
2019
2022
2019
2022
Jan
Feb
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0
Q1
Q2
12
September 2022

wide releases, compared with 30 in Q1
2019. More alarming, there were 46 titles
released by major and mini-major distributors
in the first quarter of 2019, and 34 in
the first quarter of 2022.
This is important to bear in mind as
you read stories about the health of the
box office. Most mention the remarkable
strength of this summer so far but note
that the 2022 box office is trailing 2019.
Here, again, we are in a twilight world of
past and present. Simultaneously recovering
and lagging. This is why it is critical to
mark different periods of recovery.
Year to date, 2022 trails our last full year
of normal, 2019, by 29.4 percent. That’s
$4,248,807,549 compared with $6,013,179,827,
as of July 10. But breaking it down by time
period is far more illuminating.
Q1 2022 was $1,353,958,822 compared
with $2,416,443,936 in 2019—a deficit of 44
percent. To be sure, Q1 had its bright spots,
most notably The Batman, with a $56 million
opening weekend and a $369 million
domestic gross, and the solid performances
of Dog and The Lost City—the latter of
which legged out a $100 million gross.
Everything Everywhere All at Once snuck in
at the end of the quarter on 20 screens and
became a long-running indie phenomenon,
having grossed $68 million as I write.
Q2 is a different story. With 22 wide
releases compared with 37 in 2019, the
comparison might seem dire, particularly
when one of those 2019 titles was Avengers:
Endgame, which grossed $858 million
domestically, but the hit rate in Q2 was
remarkable. Three movies—Dr. Strange,
Top Gun: Maverick, and Jurassic World:
Dominion all opened to more than $100
million in a six-week period. That has only
happened twice before—May 2007 and
May–June 2018. Since April 1, there have
been seven 100 million–plus grossers. Over
the same period in 2019, there were nine.
Q2 grossed $2,355,872,336, down 27.14
percent from 2019’s $3,233,224,830. The
starkest difference between the two periods
is the number of releases from majors
and mini-majors. There were 61 in Q2 of
2019, but only 40 in 2022. There is a vast
middle class of movies that have simply
not found their way back to movie theaters.
There are multiple reasons, from
production delays to a still-evolving
understanding that audiences have
not abandoned midrange movies for
streaming—the movies have abandoned
them—to an unfounded notion that
Here, again, we are in a
twilight world of past and
present. Simultaneously
recovering and lagging. This
is why it is critical to mark
different periods of recovery.
older audiences and family audiences
were still hesitant to return to theaters.
This led to a week of comic anxiety the
week after Lightyear and a week before
Minions, as the more sensitive stomachs
in Hollywood churned over the question
of whether families still wanted to see
animated movies.
That anxiety highlights another
time-bending perception in Hollywood,
particularly regarding bad news, and
more particularly regarding theatrical.
One flop is a calamity, two is a trend, and
three is a paradigm shift. Unmoored from
logic and time, each new insight gleaned
from the same old story is a signal of
unprecedented peril. The pandemic
changes everything. So did streaming,
until sometime after Q1 2019 earnings
statements. So did DVDs, until people
stopped buying them. So did TV, even if
suburbanization had more to do with the
postwar decline in moviegoing.
But things get better. As promising as
the second quarter was, despite a serious
movie supply issue, the summer season is
even better. Since May 1, box office is only
9.6 percent behind 2019: $2,313,238,282
to $2,559,426,365. The sudden realization
of this has caused analysts to leap ahead
toward what looks like a serious lack of
blockbusters from the end of August
through October.
And they are correct. Where they will
undoubtedly be incorrect is in their speculation
about what this means for the health
of the movie theater industry. For multiple
reasons—erratic production schedules,
mistaken perceptions of what the audience
is ready for, an incomplete pivot from
a streaming-is-everything strategy, or
simple timidity—we have not yet had the
breadth and numbers of movies we need
for a balanced and healthy schedule to
serve the broadest number of moviegoers.
For all the marketing talk of “meeting
the audience where they are” and
spending billions of dollars to build new
delivery systems and libraries of content,
Hollywood has failed to see that the audience
was here all along. The pandemic and
this summer’s remarkable recovery make
clear that the audience has never left—the
movies did. Bring back the movies—all of
them—and the audience will be right here
waiting. Like they always have.
Patrick Corcoran is Vice President & Chief
Communications Officer of NATO.
September 2022
13

INDUSTRY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
CHARITY
SPOTLIGHT
Texas-based Studio Movie Grill continues
its commitment to serving
the communities in which its theaters are
located. On June 18, the chain’s Seminole,
Florida location worked with nonprofit
group Help Us Gather (HUG) to provide a
special-needs screening of Lightyear for
those with disabilities and their families.
Elsewhere in Florida, at SMG’s Sunset
Walk Kissimmee location, manager Jason
and his team partnered with Heroez
Everywhere—an organization that helps
children in Central Florida who are battling
cancer, living with autism, or powering
through poverty—to raise awareness
of Sunset Walk’s Special Needs Screenings.
Volunteers attending in costumes
made the screenings even more special
for guests. Sunset Walk also hosted a
screening of Jurassic World: Dominion for
Special Olympics Team Florida to help
celebrate their accomplishments during
the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games,
held in Orlando.
Elsewhere, two SMG locations in Georgia
(one in Atlanta, one in Duluth) hosted
special adaptive-bike presentations with
Variety, the Children’s Charity of Georgia,
while the chain’s Marietta, Georgia
location hosted guests from the nearby
Dobbins Air Reserve Base at a special
screening of Top Gun: Maverick. In SMG’s
home state of Texas, SMG Lincoln Square
in Arlington invited guests from the
Orange Out Foundation—which assists
children and families dealing with childhood
cancers—to screenings of Lightyear
and DC League of Super-Pets.
Cranford, New Jersey’s five-screen
Cranford Theater, pictured below
right, regularly engages with its local
community through a variety of charity
initiatives. In the summer of 2022 alone,
they have partnered with local pantry
Cranford Family Care to collect baby
formula, with the theater used as a collection
site; partnered with the Cranford
High School film class for a special movie
day, with students treated to a screening
as well as a visit from the associate director
of the N.J. Motion Picture and Television
Commission; and twice worked with
local leaders to host film screenings, with
guests getting free access in exchange for
a donation of canned items to Cranford
Family Care. Elvis tribute artist Jim Barone
also collected paper and canned goods for
Cranford Family Care from attendees at his
June 30 concert at the Cranford.
On July 10, the Motion Picture Club
hosted its annual Day at the Movies event
at a street fair in Midtown Manhattan.
Every year, the MPC puts together a booth
and sells various donated movie swag—
including T-shirts, posters, and DVDs—
enabling them to both connect with their
community and raise money for cinema-related
charitable organizations.
At the NAC Concession & Hospitality
Expo, held July 26–29 in Orlando,
Florida, attendees could take a break
from the world of concessions and do a
good deed. The NAC Outreach Committee
coordinated a kindness initiative to take
place during the show, partnering with
Variety of Florida and Go Baby Go—both
of which assist young children with
disabilities—to assemble mobility vehicles
and therapeutic toy bags for children
in need. Siblings of these children were
14
September 2022

invited to walk the trade show and trick
or treat through the booths.
Cinema Week—a week-long celebration
of the cinematic experience—is returning
for its second year, this time taking place
between October 7 and 13. Those who
wish to buy Cinema Week merchandise,
available on cinemaweek.com, will also
be supporting a beloved industry charity,
as proceeds from Cinema Week sales
will go to the Will Rogers Motion Picture
Pioneers Foundation.
MediCinema Brings the Power of Thor
to Hospital Patients Across the U.K.
Vue International, the third largest
exhibitor in the U.K., has partnered with
Marvel Studios to support MediCinema, a
U.K.-based organization that brings the
magic of the movies to hospital patients
and their families. Guests who bought
tickets to Thor: Love and Thunder through
August 31 were given the option to donate
50 pence to MediCinema; all donations
were then matched by Marvel Studios, a
division of the Walt Disney Company, up
to £50,000.
Vue’s partnership with MediCinema
has been in place since 2018, with customers
being given the option to donate when
they purchase a ticket online. To date,
this partnership has yielded more than
£600,000 for MediCinema.
Toby Braden, general manager of Vue
U.K., Ireland, and Denmark said, “We’re
proud to support MediCinema and the
great work the charity does. We’ve been in
partnership for four years and have seen
firsthand the true magic, escapism, and
experience MediCinema provides to those
who need it. At Vue, we too believe in the
power of the Big Screen.”
MediCinema also worked in partnership
with Disney to arrange an
exclusive premiere screening of Thor:
Love and Thunder for patients at the
CW+ MediCinema at the Chelsea and
Westminster Hospital. To date, Disney
has created numerous once-in-a-lifetime
activities at MediCinema sites, using the
power of their stories and characters to
help build emotional resilience.
Said Sara Hanson, director, enterprise
social responsibility EMEA & U.K., the
Walt Disney Company: “Our partnership
with MediCinema is a great example of
how, through the power of stories and
working together, we can create moments
“MediCinema helps patients
every day feel better with
film across the country;
that’s why we are proud to
be teaming up with Vue U.K.
to help raise awareness and
funds to enable more patients
to have this experience.”
that matter—bringing comfort and joy
to patients and their loved ones when
they need it the most. MediCinema helps
patients every day feel better with film
across the country; that’s why we are
proud to be teaming up with Vue U.K. to
help raise awareness and funds to enable
more patients to have this experience.”
Variety – the Children’s Charity
On July 6, Variety of Illinois held a
special event for kids with disabilities
at Classic Cinemas’ Cinema 12 location
in Carpentersville, Illinois. The theater
staff served concessions combos, played
games, and made sure to keep smiles on
everyone’s faces.
This summer, Variety of St. Louis
brought back their Adventure Camp,
open to children and teens ages 4 to 20.
Pictured above is Emmy, a first-time
attendee of the camp, who jumped
headlong into every activity with her
signature spunk and energy, making
friends with everyone she met and having
what her mom called “the best week of
her life.” Born with a form of dwarfism
called achondroplasia, Emmy faces daily
challenges that did not stop her from
having experiences at camp like any kid
her age, including diving into a swimming
pool, slurping shaved ice on a hot day, and
riding a Ferris wheel.
September 2022
15

INDUSTRY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
On Monday, June 20, Variety of Detroit
hosted their 33rd Annual Variety Kovan
Golf Classic at the Knollwood Country
Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Funds raised at the sold-out event went
to local programs for children with physical
and cognitive challenges, including
the Dr. Bradley S. Kovan memorial fund
at the nonprofit group Friendship Circle,
the Jonathan Scott Kovan memorial
fund at the University of Michigan’s
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and other
Variety programs.
For more than 20 years, Variety of
Detroit’s Bikes for Kids program has
provided brand-new bicycles, helmets,
and locks to deserving children across
southeastern Michigan. This year’s event
was held at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica,
Michigan, where 150 children were invited
to watch a ballgame, enjoy some summer
treats like hot dogs and popcorn, and
receive new bikes and accessories.
July 11 saw the 45th incarnation of
Variety of Wisconsin’s Ben Marcus
Variety Golf Classic, hosted at the Grand
Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin. Pictured below are Variety
of Wisconsin board member Jon Kahle
and his son Francis, joined by Steve,
David, and Greg Marcus of the Marcus
Corporation. Greg is president and CEO of
the Marcus Corporation, which consists
of Marcus Theatres, hotels, and resorts,
including the Grand Geneva.
On Thursday, September 22, Variety of
Southern California will host its 50th
Annual Golf Classic. This year, Variety
SoCal honors entertainment industry veteran
(and Variety of SoCal board member)
Eric Tabak as he celebrates his final year
as Golf Chair Extraordinaire. Join Variety
and Tabak’s friends and colleagues as they
thank him for the decades-long dedication
that helped the Variety SoCal Golf
Classic reach its half-century mark.
Since its inception in 1971, the Golf
Classic has raised over $2.5 million in
support of Variety’s mission to help kids
in Southern California. Please visit www.
Varietysocal.org for more information.
Have an event to feature in next issue’s
Charity Spotlight? Email any details and
images to numbers@boxoffice.com.
Since its inception in 1971,
the Golf Classic has raised
over $2.5 million in support of
Variety’s mission to help kids
in Southern California.
16
September 2022

IN MEMORIAM: VARIETY – THE CHILDREN’S
CHARITY CELEBRATES THE LIVES OF TWO LEGENDS
Maureen Arthur Ruben
1934–2022
June 15 saw the passing of one of Variety’s
greatest icons: Maureen Arthur Ruben.
It is hard to imagine today, but in 1993
Variety of Southern California was close
to shutting down. Revenue streams had
dried up and operating costs exceeded
annual income. When no one wanted
the job of president of the board, Ruben
stepped up and accepted the position.
Ruben’s first act as president: She
dismissed the entire board. She then went
to every movie studio in town and asked
them to provide her with one person to
join her new board. She wasn’t shy in
her ask. She wanted each studio head to
provide her with their best people.
The first meeting of this new board
was hosted by Ruben at Chasen’s restaurant,
where the group began the work of
fixing Variety SoCal. What happened next
is Ruben’s most enduring legacy. Over
the next 29 years, Variety SoCal raised
more than $50 million to help children in
Southern California. Variety’s Gold Heart
Campaign, with Variety of SoCal leading
the charge, was embraced by the motion
picture studios and theater operators
and has become a key part of Variety’s
charitable efforts. Gold Heart sales have
exceeded $50 million to date. That wasn’t
all. Variety of SoCal put up $11 million
to give the Variety Boys and Girls Club
of Boyle Heights a new-and-improved
headquarters, where they still help children
and teens in the Boyle Heights-East
Los Angeles area.
Maureen Arthur Ruben was a sports
nut, a gourmet cook, a singer, and a
movie, TV, and stage actor. Her passion
for Variety – the Children’s Charity was
unprecedented, and her legacy lives on.
Stanley J. Reynolds
1941–2022
Stanley J. Reynolds, who founded an
insurance company that at one point
worked with over a third of the United
States cinema industry, passed away on
July 6. Reynolds and his late wife, Jody,
who passed away June 2, 2019, were the
heart and soul of Variety of Iowa.
Reynolds was one of the founders of the
Variety of Iowa Telethon and was instrumental
in the running of all 48 telethons
that took place over the following decades.
Reynolds’s inspiration came from a place
of grief: his and Jody’s third child, Brigid,
died at an early age from complications
developed at birth. Jody told Stanley on
the drive back from the funeral: “We are
going to make her life count.”
From that day forward, the two of them
devoted themselves to serving children
across Iowa and around the world. Since
the inception of the telethon in 1975,
Variety of Iowa has raised more than
$123 million to support the children of Iowa.
Reynolds’s dedication and passion for
improving the lives of children is undeniable;
he served as a tireless champion for
children in need across the globe until he
passed. He led Variety of Iowa as president
from 1975 to 1977 and extended his service
to Variety International as president from
1989 to 1991.
Reynolds lived life to the fullest. The
greatest joy of his life was his family, which
included Jody and five children: Stan W.,
Suzanne, Erin, Brooks, and Kathryn, plus
grandchildren Caroline, Brooks, Caitlyn,
Johnny, Cullen, William, Marilyn, and
Roxy. Variety of Iowa, though they will
miss Stan terribly, are reminded of his
benevolent spirit every day as they witness
the philanthropic footprint he left behind
in their community and around the world.
What happened next is
Ruben’s most enduring legacy.
Over the next 29 years, Variety
SoCal raised more than $50
million to help children in
Southern California.
Reynolds’s dedication and
passion for improving the lives
of children is undeniable; he
served as a tireless champion
for children in need across
the globe until he passed.
September 2022
17

INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INSIDERS
Boxoffice Pro spoke to Blumer
shortly after her appointment. She talked
about her beginnings at the organization
and her vision for its future.
A PIONEERING
LEADER
Christina Blumer Is Will
Rogers’s New Executive
Director
BY DANIEL LORIA
A cornerstone of the film industry
since its founding in 1936, the
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers
Foundation has been an invaluable
resource, built to address the cinema
community’s greatest needs. The foundation
is starting a new chapter in its storied
history under the direction of Christina
Blumer as its new executive director, the
first woman to serve in the role since Lois
Lewis in 1975.
Blumer first joined the foundation in
2009, moving up the ranks and serving as
its director of development from 2017 until
earlier this year. Since March, Blumer
has served as the foundation’s director of
operations, where she expanded industry
relations and supervised the charity’s
ongoing programs and services.
As executive director, Blumer will
oversee day-to-day activities, provide
leadership to staff, ensure tax compliance,
advise the board of directors on organizational
programming and services, and
maintain relationships with the motion
picture industry at large. She is taking the
reins from Todd Vradenburg, who stepped
down to become NATO of California and
Nevada’s new president and CEO.
We all know the Will Rogers Motion
Picture Pioneers Foundation for its
charitable work, but I also must highlight
some of the under-the-radar
work you do at industry events. At conventions,
no matter how early I make
it to the gym or go outside for a run, I
always find you and Todd in the middle
of leading a group walk or workout.
I always joke that working for a health
charity is both a blessing and a curse: It
really helps you stay focused on healthier
habits in life. Todd, who first hired me as
an intern at Will Rogers, is a former college
athlete and football player, so he was very
much into health and fitness—and it’s
difficult to say no to the big guy. We were
often up in the hotel gym, or walking up
and down the beach, depending on what
part of the country we were in, during
conventions. It is part of an initiative to
show people, look, you don’t have to do a
lot. You don’t have to kill yourself in the
gym, you don’t have to go nuts, and you
don’t have to feel like you’re going to fall
over at the end of the workout. Just get up
and take a walk. That is how the Walk with
Will concept was born: Just get up and take
a walk, move your body for half an hour.
We get to go to some really cool places on
this travel circuit, and oftentimes, with the
convention schedule, you find you never
leave the hotel. That’s why we encourage
people to get up early and enjoy some of
the beautiful places we get to see.
It really helps balance the day when
you’re at a convention, and it also
helps burn off some of those calories
from the complimentary nachos that
are often in the goodie bags.
You’re not alone. We all dig into those
nachos late at night when we get back to
our hotel room! Over the years, even if we
were at a show where we didn’t actually
have an official Walk with Will on the
schedule, we still had people come up to
us and asking, “Hey, you guys walking
tomorrow?” We’ve found it’s an organic
way to get people networking and a nice
way to be active every morning. So even if
we don’t have one on the schedule at any
given convention, I encourage you to find
me or a group and walk at any event.
18
September 2022

“I always joke that working
for a health charity is both a
blessing and a curse: It really
helps you stay focused on
healthier habits in life.”
What are the other areas where the
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers
Foundation has been active lately?
The Will Rogers Institute is our pulmonary
health program, the health charity side of
our organization. It is an ode to the Will
Rogers Hospital in Saranac Lake, New
York, which is where we started and where
our roots are as a tuberculosis sanitarium
back in the late 1920s. To this day, we fund
pulmonary research at various educational
institutions across the country and promote
general health and wellness.
In addition to that, we have our
Pioneers Assistance Fund program—
which is probably what we’re most wellknown
for within our industry, particularly
over the last couple of years—which
is our social services program. We provide
financial assistance and supportive
counseling to members of the motion
picture industry, primarily those who
work in exhibition, distribution, trade
services, and vendors exclusive to the
sector. We have two social workers on
staff to provide one-on-one, individualized
services to members of our industry
who have fallen on hard times. We help
with issues like health care expenses and
medical concerns. Accidents, illnesses,
and injury are the main reasons why
someone would come to us. We’re there
for the industry if someone needs our
help after something traumatic happens,
whether it be a natural disaster, hurricane,
flood, fire, or (most recently) a
pandemic.
Another program you recently
launched is Film Row, which feels like
an extension of Will Rogers in that
it helps bring the industry together—
particularly younger members of the
motion picture community.
With Film Row, I have to give credit to
my predecessor, Todd, for coming up
with the concept and the vision of this. I
helped with the execution and am proud
to carry it on, but the idea came from
him. It was modeled after YPO, the Young
Professional Organization, and it is a
training ground for the next generation
of leaders to develop their skills and to
provide a place where they can learn and
grow and network.
Over the last several years, even
pre-pandemic, the business has shifted a
little bit in welcoming a new generation
of young executives. The origins of the
Film Row name comes from these film
row depots around the country, where
both exhibition and distribution would
come together. It’s where the film reels
would be delivered and where exhibitors
would come and pick up marketing
materials for their theaters. As those
film rows and regional offices around the
country closed, those natural opportunities
for training, mentorship, and networking
fell by the wayside. This came
out of an idea to create a place where the
next generation of leadership can network,
learn, and grow with one another.
Melanie Valera was Film Row’s first president.
She was involved heavily with the
Motion Picture Club in New York, which
provides a similar social space there.
She was able to expand those experiences
and provide a place for young
leaders to develop.
It’s an invaluable resource for young
professionals, especially because the
motion picture industry still operates
on a first-name basis. You have folks
that have worked in the business for
years, many of them from multigeneration
families involved in either distribution
or exhibition—oftentimes both—
and it can be intimidating to start your
career in that context. Did you have
a similar experience when you first
joined the industry?
I started as a college intern, so I was very
green and didn’t know much about the
way the film industry worked from the
business side of things. One of the very
first things that I noticed is how much
people know each other so well and have
known each other for so long. It is very
much an industry that operates on a
first-name basis. It was very overwhelming
at first, to be honest, because you feel
like you’re jumping into this big family.
Everyone knows each other. They know
each other’s history, both professionally
and personally, and how they’ve evolved
in the industry. It takes a while to pick up
on that, and you really need to have someone
mentor you through the process.
I was very fortunate to have landed at
Will Rogers and have Todd there to guide
me. I was able to come up through the
ranks, slowly getting handed more and
more things to do, up to being in the hot
seat today. It’s one of the reasons why I’m
so proud of Film Row, and particularly
their mentorship program.
September 2022
19

INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INSIDERS
You’re also in the hot seat for your
first Pioneer of the Year dinner as
executive director of the foundation.
That’s coming up on September 21 in
Los Angeles, coinciding with NATO’s
Fall Summit, where you’re going to
be honoring James Bond producers
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara
Broccoli.
The Pioneer of the Year dinner is something
that we as an organization look
forward to all year. We know that the
industry and people who come to the
event also look forward to it. These are
very high-profile honorees, and we are
very honored to have both Barbara and
Michael lend their names to this event.
The Pioneer of the Year dinner is the
major fundraising event for the Pioneers
Assistance Fund, so it’s really important
to us, not only in making sure everyone
attending has a great time, but also to
raise money for the Pioneers Assistance
Fund. There is always an expectation and
a little bit of pressure involved, since we
always want to put on a great show and
knock the fundraising out of the park.
I think people can expect a great show
this year, and we’re expecting it to sell
out—so get your tickets early if you’re
planning on attending. This is also going
to be the first black-tie Pioneer of the
Year dinner in many years—if anyone can
pull it off, it’s Barbara and Michael, when
we’re honoring the James Bond franchise.
I’m really looking forward to it.
Now that you’re the executive director
at Will Rogers, what are some of the
priorities you’re looking at for 2023?
One of our top priorities is to continue
serving the people in our industry to the
best of our ability. Now that the rush of
the pandemic has slowed down, we’re
taking the time to reassess and look back
at what took place over the last couple of
years. The topic of mental health is top
of mind, not only in this business but
across the board. We’re putting together
resources and educational materials for
people in this business to focus on their
mental health—how to take care of it and
how to recognize if you need a little help
in that area. We’re spending the time listening
to people in exhibition, people in
distribution, and asking how we can serve
them better.
“One of our top priorities
is to continue serving the
people in our industry to
the best of our ability.”
RTS
20
September 2022

THE
COMPANY WEBEDIA GROUP

Industry CINEEUROPE RECAP
CINEEUROPE 2022:
TOM CRUISE, TICKET
PRICING, AND PREMIUMS
The Film Industry Gathered in Barcelona
for Europe’s Biggest Exhibition Convention
BY DANIEL LORIA
One of the biggest moments of last
year’s CineEurope convention came
during Paramount’s slate presentation.
After a year and a half of operating
restrictions and release delays, exhibitors
in attendance were genuinely surprised to
see Tom Cruise walk onstage to introduce
footage of his upcoming Paramount
releases. Stars often make personal
appearances at CineEurope and other
major cinema conventions—but Cruise’s
in-person cameo at Barcelona in October
2021 felt different. Notably, he was the
only star to make an appearance at any
cinema convention in 2021. And while he
received a warm welcome when he walked
onstage, it was difficult not to notice that
the auditorium was far below capacity.
That CineEurope 2021 took place at
all is a minor miracle, a testament to the
resiliency of the event’s organizers—
UNIC and Film Expo Group—to bring the
industry together amid its biggest crisis.
Cruise’s personal appearance resonated
with those in attendance for that very
reason. He showed up when no one else
did. He took the stage and expressed his
gratitude and support for an industry that
many had left for dead. Before leaving,
he promised to continue delivering great
films made to be seen at their cinemas.
Within a year of making that
promise, Cruise returned to Barcelona
for Paramount’s slate presentation at
CineEurope 2022. This time he received
a lengthy standing ovation before an
auditorium that was nearly at capacity.
Earlier that week, Top Gun: Maverick
crossed $900 million in global box office
in its first four weeks of release—the
biggest box office hit of his career.
That moment encapsulated the mood
of CineEurope 2022. If the 2021 edition
recognized the industry’s resilience, this
year’s event celebrated its revitalization.
According to UNIC’s annual report,
cinemas across the European Union were
shut down for an average of 120 days in
2021. In Belgium and the Netherlands,
cinemas were shut down for nearly six
months. The impact of the closures
resulted in a protracted recovery at the
box office, with admissions across Europe
up 36 percent against 2020 but still 56
percent behind 2019 figures.
Once restrictions began to ease across
the continent, 2021 became a tale of the
haves and the have-nots. France, one of
the region’s top markets, was down 53
percent in box office against 2019 during
the first half of 2021. By the second half
of the year, the French box office had
regained enough ground to finish the
second semester 22 percent behind
the same period in 2019, according
to data presented by Comscore at the
event. Access to locally produced films
proved to be a determining factor in that
turnaround. Domestic films claimed 40
percent of the market share at the French
box office, a higher figure than any other
country in the region.
Comparatively, countries that
experienced a disruption in the release
of new domestic titles suffered most at
the box office in 2021. That was the case
in Italy and Turkey, countries where
domestic cinema plays an important
role. The Italian box office finished the
year 74 percent behind 2019 box office
receipts and 76 percent below admission
levels. Turkey was dealt similar results:
71 percent behind 2019 box office and 79
percent below admissions.
Despite these obstacles, Gower Street
Analytics is currently forecasting $31.5
billion in global box office by year’s
end—25 percent below 2019’s recordsetting
$42.3 billion. As we get deeper into
2022, the cinema industry is entering a
period where it won’t be able to blame
the pandemic for its shortcomings. This
year’s CineEurope panel sessions provided
a glimpse into some of the strategies
That moment encapsulated
the mood of CineEurope
2022. If the 2021 edition
recognized the industry’s
resilience, this year’s event
celebrated its revitalization.
22 September 2022

exhibition circuits around the world are
taking to reclaim their audiences.
“People want to come back when
there’s a great film to see. All our data
and research points to that,” said Jane
Hastings, CEO of Event Hospitality and
Entertainment Limited, which operates
cinemas in Australia, New Zealand, and
Germany. “But what’s key moving forward
is premiumization: having as many
cinema experiences as you can offer that
suit a local cinema area.” Eddy Duquenne,
CEO of Belgium-based multinational
circuit Kinepolis, echoed Hastings’s
comments, saying, “There is more
demand for more experience” among
audiences emerging from the pandemic.
The numbers back up those
assertions. Imax is coming off the
best year in its history in global box
office market share, while CJ4DPLEX’s
panoramic screen and 4DX immersive
seating reported record-setting figures
with the release of Top Gun: Maverick.
Peter Forstam, CEO of Scandinavian
circuit Svenska Bio, shared that in one
of his circuit’s new Swedish locations,
premium-priced seats, which represent
around 20 to 25 percent of the site’s total
capacity, were responsible for nearly half
of the cinema’s box office revenue.
For a cinema’s premium strategy
to be viable, however, circuits must
ensure that the price-value relationship
remains competitive for consumers
getting hit by inflation. Kinepolis’s
Duquenne believes there is an advantage
in consumer perception, finding that
today’s consumers are less likely to make
purchasing decisions based on the value
of watching content than they are on the
unique out-of-home experience cinemas
can provide.
“Back when I joined Kinepolis in
2008, friends were telling me: Why are
you buying tickets for the cinema when
you can bring home the DVD to your
family for half the price?” Duquenne
said. “Today, no one talks about the
value of watching content because of
all the [streaming] subscriptions we
have—content is considered free—but
the willingness to pay for an experience is
much higher.”
Marcus Theatres CEO Rolando
Rodriguez, who also serves as chairman
of the National Association of Theatre
Owners, believes exhibitors need to
confront the price-value relationship of
moviegoing more seriously during this
phase of the global cinema reopening.
“You look at what’s happening with labor
cost and in the supply chain—we’re all
feeling pain, and some level of pricing
adjustments are having to take place to
keep your operating levels at a certain
place,” he said. “We need to provide a
great experience and cater to consumers,
and there’s a cost associated with that.”
Rodriguez cautioned against passing on
increased operations costs to the consumer
or pricing out entire audience segments
with premiums. “When we look at the
U.S., we have to keep in mind that median
incomes fluctuate greatly,” he said. “In
California and New York, a $20 ticket isn’t
that much more than a cup of coffee. But
in parts of the country with a lower median
income, $20 is food on the table.”
Instead, he believes the key to success
in instituting a premium strategy is
optimizing the price-value relationship
across a circuit’s range of experiences
by offering a competitively priced movie
ticket for every audience. Marcus, which
operates over 1,000 cinemas in the United
States alongside its dine-in theater brand,
Movie Tavern, offers a range of enhanced
F&B menus and premium formats while
also maintaining a popular Discount
Tuesday program.
Rodriguez is betting on frequency,
not average spend, to get exhibition
back to pre-pandemic admissions levels.
“Our industry is predicated on traffic
and attendance,” he said. “I know of no
consumer-facing business that can survive
without traffic. The restaurant industry
stopped talking about the average spend.
They talk about traffic. Within that traffic,
they’ve got to have a certain amount
of average spend to make it work, but
restaurants today are more concerned
about how to get people through the door,
build loyalty, and build frequency. That’s
one of the things we have to figure out as
an industry right now.”
September 2022
23

Industry TRENDS
THE DINE-
IN CINEMA
MARKET
Highlights from Omdia’s
Report on the Booming
Dine-In Cinema Trend
BY DAVID HANCOCK
A niche and largely unfamiliar
cinema experience just 10 years
ago, dine-in cinemas can now be found
in every major U.S. chain. In the past five
years, the U.S. screen count for dine-in
cinema has grown by 41 percent, with the
number of screens dedicated to eat-andwatch
moviegoing now standing at 3,127
screens, or 7.7 percent of the U.S. screen
base. Cinemas in the United States are
promoting dine-in as an important way
to differentiate moviegoing from home
viewing, saving guests time by combining
two out-of-home experiences into one.
Dine-in cinema is now very much
in the mainstream of moviegoing
experiences among the top three circuits
in the United States. AMC began its
Dine-In program back in 2008. Today,
the largest cinema chain in the U.S. has
grown the concept to 52 sites, half of
them with full service at patrons’ seats.
Likewise, since acquiring dine-in circuit
Cinebarre in 2015, Regal, the secondlargest
cinema chain in the country, also
offers upscale dine-in within its circuit.
For its part, Cinemark, the country’s
third-largest circuit, has just begun
the rollout of its own dine-in concept,
Cinemark CUT!
The U.S. also counts several circuits
specializing in the dine-in cinema
experience. Chains such as iPic, LOOK
24
September 2022

OMDIA’S KEY
FINDINGS
1.
Cinemas
specializing in
dine-in account for
nearly 8 percent of
U.S. screens—and
growing.
2.
The dine-in market
is a mix of dine-in
circuits and more
opportunistic dinein
sites from major
circuits.
3.
In-seat dining
requires a major
investment, one
that needs buy-in
from the landlord
in a lease-heavy
business.
4.
The dine-in offer
is nearly always
accompanied by
an upscale drinks
offer, especially
craft beer and
cocktails.
Dine-In Cinemas, Alamo Drafthouse, Flix
Brewhouse, Star Cinema Grill, and Studio
Movie Grill are all national players in
this sector. Marcus Theatres, the fourthlargest
circuit in the country and fifth
largest in North America, has had its own
brand of cinemas specializing in dine-in
since acquiring and incorporating Movie
Tavern into its circuit in 2019.
Dine-in cinema straddles the cinema
and restaurant/hospitality sectors in a
way movie theaters never have. Food and
beverage (F&B) in cinemas dates to the
1930s, as a high-margin strategy based
on selling snack items. Over the years,
few in the industry seemed committed
to deviating from that model. However,
with the public now able to enjoy films
at home or on the go, and with indirect
competition from other out-of-home
leisure options, cinemas have had to up
their game in recent years. The dine-in
cinema trend is just another example of
how movie theaters have begun leaning
into the experience factor that is unique
to the theatrical model, complementing
other innovations like recliner seating
and premium large-format (PLF)
auditoriums. Dine-in cinema sits within
these upscale options as another way to
offer a unique, premium experience at
the movies.
Domestic Dine-In Cinema Screens
Among the biggest challenges in
implementing the concept is adding
a fully operational restaurant kitchen,
something that requires considerable
planning. As a leasehold business, the
cinema needs buy-in from the landlord;
finding the extra space for a kitchen in
the site is a vital question for both parties.
Once established, the restaurant operation
will require the utmost focus—it is a laborheavy
component, and a substandard
food offering will keep audiences away
regardless of the cinema.
David Hancock is Chief Analyst, Media &
Entertainment, at Omdia.
Cinemas in the United States
are promoting dine-in as an
important way to differentiate
moviegoing from home
viewing, saving guests time by
combining two out-of-home
experiences into one.
Screens
Percentage of market
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1000
500
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
September 2022
25

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26 Sept 2022

Indie Focus 28 | Alamo Drafthouse 34 | The Moviegoer’s Guide to Austin 46
THEATER
[Austin] is one of the biggest dine-in cinema markets in the
world, with 46 percent of its screens offering a meal-and-amovie
experience.
The Moviegoer’s Guide to Austin, p. 46
September 2022
27

Theater INDIE FOCUS
INDIE FOCUS
Brought to you by
As the cinema industry emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic,
Boxoffice Pro and Spotlight Cinema Networks are partnering
to profile movie theaters and influential industry figures from
across the country and ask them to share their first-person
accounts of bringing the movies back to the big screen.
NICOLAS NICOLAOU
Interview with Nicolas Nicolaou, Owner
Alpine Cinema (Brooklyn)
Cinema Village (Manhattan)
Cinemart Cinemas (Queens)
The owner of three independent
cinemas in New York City—
including the oldest still-operating
theater in the five boroughs—Nicolas
Nicolaou came to New York City from
his native Greece at the age of 15. A job
at an RKO cinema led to a love of the
industry that flourished over the next
50 years. Nicolaou’s passion for theaters,
particularly neighborhood theaters,
takes center stage in Abel Ferrara’s
2019 documentary The Projectionist; in
September 2020, distributor Kino Lorber
allowed theaters to screen the film
and keep 100 percent of sales, as they
reopened.
New York City has a rich cinematic
history with such a diverse range
of theaters, from multiplexes to
movie palaces to more independent,
community-oriented cinemas. How
did you get involved in this scene?
I started when I was 15. We lived in
Astoria. The first train stop to Manhattan
was 59th Street. In the ’70s, that’s where
all the main theaters were: The Baronet
and Coronet [Theatre], Cinema I and
II, all the art theaters, the 68th Street
Playhouse, RKO 59th Street, the D.W.
Griffith Theater, the Sutton Theater. I
took the train one day, looking for a
job. A friend of mine, we played a little
game. He called up at the last minute: “I
can’t come to work, but I can send my
friend! He’s 16.” I wasn’t. They hired
me. I worked for RKO, [and] I learned a
lot of things there. And then I moved
on, because across the street, there were
other theaters. I was very quickly offered
an assistant manager’s job at the [nearby]
art theater. And then [I became the]
manager. When you’re in a small chain—
it was 10, 12 theaters they had—you get
promoted if you’re willing to work hard. I
was going to high school, still.
How old were you when you became
the manager?
I was 17. And then when I was 19, the
district manager for those theaters
decided to take off with one of the female
managers. So I covered for him. He didn’t
come back for months! He must have been
having a good time. So I kept doing it.
28
September 2022

Theater INDIE FOCUS
up and get out of the apartment. To put
on lipstick. For seven dollars, to come
and watch two hours of a movie. And
she will see another 20 friends sitting
around. Maybe she doesn’t know some
of them, but she’s still socializing. That is
creating a healthy community. The brain
needs that. Unfortunately, in these past
50 years, I’ve seen neighborhood theater
after neighborhood theater turn into a
McDonald’s or a drugstore. That makes us
a poorer, less healthy community.
[Neighborhood theaters] should
mean something if you want a better
community. If you want a better future.
If you want healthier people. I’ve seen
so many neighborhood theaters closed
down and turned into other things. Do the
math, first of all. For each theater that is
closed down, the business of the pizza guy
across the street, the coffee shop, the guy
next door that sells the comic cards, [they
all suffer]. All these mom-and-pop stores
that make up Main Street get destroyed.
Mathematically, the economics are much
better with a theater that brings in three,
four hundred people. You know why? This
is not a mall. The poor [customer] has to
park two, three blocks away. And when he
parks two, three blocks away: “Let’s get a
nice, small dinner here. Let’s get a nice
dessert here.”
My hair got white within a year with
Covid, because I saw no light at the end
of the tunnel, and the bills kept piling up.
Our income stopped. Of course, we got a
check from Spotlight [Cinema Networks]!
“Let’s spend it to fix the theater!” we said.
Because we wanted people to feel proud.
With all three of your theaters, you’re
a steward of so much history. You
obviously really care about these
cinemas and what they mean to their
communities.
We have people [here at the Alpine] that
say, “Hey, my father used to bring me here
when I was a little boy.” “Ah, the Alpine! I
used to go there and hang out after school,
and I can still go there and bring my kids.”
These are memories that you cannot buy.
Of course, I like the multiplexes the big
chains have. There is room for everybody.
It’s an American tradition more
than anything, the movies. It’s a social
gathering. People come here and interact.
In the morning, an eleven o’clock
showing, senior citizens. You know what
that means for a senior citizen? To get
“Unfortunately, in these
past 50 years, I’ve seen
neighborhood theater after
neighborhood theater turn into
a McDonald’s or a drugstore.
That makes us a poorer, less
healthy community.”
The Alpine Cinema looks absolutely
beautiful. You’ve restored some of
that old-school glamour that you’d
expect from the oldest cinema in New
York, while upgrading your technology
in the auditoriums. Balancing the old
and the new.
That’s what we did. At the time we were
doing it, there was no help. We were
getting some PPP money and things
like that, but what do you pay when
you don’t have a payroll? That’s why it
was extremely beneficial what Senator
Schumer did with championing a
bipartisan bill, with fellow senators from
both parties, that was signed into law,
and there was relief money given to us.
I am more committed now. Because I
feel that movie theaters are essential to
30
September 2022

our community. I’ve made the decision
to keep these theaters going, regardless
of what happens. Every week we get
an increase in cost for the concessions.
Every week! I haven’t increased [the
price of] anything in this theater,
because I am dealing with working-class
people here. I don’t like to see a family
come into the theater and shy away from
concessions. That’s why I keep the lowest
possible prices.
“Neighborhood movie
theaters are a magnet for
the Main Street of an area. It
serves as more than just an
economic anchor. It serves as
a social [anchor].”
The world of cinema has changed
a lot in 50 years. You saw the
multiplexes come in, and then you
saw the rise of streaming. What do
you think of the cinema industry as it
exists today?
All the chains, they have beautiful
theaters. The theaters are much, much
nicer today than they were then. What I
feel bad about is that, for whatever reason,
we lost a lot of neighborhood theaters.
Neighborhood movie theaters are a
magnet for the Main Street of an area. It
serves as more than just an economic
anchor. It serves as a social [anchor].
We’re all better off for them. But that
obviously doesn’t [cut] it when it comes
to people that may be only thinking
temporarily: “We need this money, and
that’s it.” You have to think long term.
[The Alpine], when [it was up for
sale], no one was willing to take it! No
chain, not the millionaire independents.
It was on the market for a year, and this
right after three theaters closed around
here. It was on the market for $10 million,
and nobody would buy it. It would have
become, by my understanding, a mosque.
I said, I don’t care if it’s a mosque or
another church. We have enough of
those. A movie theater is a church in my
eyes. People can pray at home. I pray at
home! People still go to church. Yeah,
you can watch a movie on your phone,
your iPad, whatever. Even though that’s
not the director’s intent—to me, you’re
minimizing the value of what his work is.
But at least you’re watching it, so that’s
good. But don’t eliminate your option to
watch streaming [services] and go to the
movie theater.
I’m a businessman. But I love movies,
and I love my community. Because
I know what difference it makes. We
saw it recently with Covid. People are
isolated, they lose their mental health.
You live in your own fantasy, not the real
September 2022
31

Theater INDIE FOCUS
world. It is not healthy. Even if you shake
hands with somebody, it makes you feel
better. Or say hello. It makes a difference.
We have to decide. These people that
make the movies and the people in our
business—I strongly believe that we have
really decent people [in our industry]
that care about humanity and care about
the next generation. They will do the
right thing. They’re not going to destroy
theaters. They can coexist with streaming
platforms. I believe people in our industry
are not the type to say, “If we kill every
other way you can watch a movie, then
you have no choice but to subscribe [to
our streaming platform].” In our industry,
I’ve met a lot of people through over
five decades, and they’re decent human
beings. They’ll manage to make good
profits for their companies and to include
the movie theaters.
In mid-2020, Kino Lorber let cinemas
screen The Projectionist and keep
100 percent of the profits. It was an
early, and very powerful, example of
the distribution side of the industry
supporting exhibitors in a very tough
time. Were you involved in that in
any way?
Kino Lorber is a champion. I had nothing
to do with it, believe me! Kino Lorber
and their team—they get it. They don’t
need to destroy theaters to be successful
in selling the beautiful films they have.
That’s who they are, Richard Lorber and
the team there. When I learned they were
giving [cinemas] The Projectionist for no
admission, no film rental—I had never
seen any film studio do that, ever, in my
life. I was so happy that when I played
the movie, I said, “No charge for my
customers, either.” [Kino Lorber] wants to
help theaters, which they do in so many
different ways. They did it because this is
who they are.
And you mentioned before that
revenue from Spotlight Cinema
Networks helped you keep your head
above water during the shutdown.
Tremendously! That was the first check
we got when we stopped having any
money. We’ve been with Spotlight since
the early days, with Cinema Village
[in Manhattan], because it’s an artistic
theater. It’s old school. We’ve played
many important movies, in the old days
especially. Spotlight, it’s good because
their advertisements are just so classy.
Our customers get it. They listen to them.
It’s a nice touch our customers can enjoy.
Spotlight is such smart advertising; they
[approach programming] it in a very
elegant way. And the income comes in
very, very handy.
“I’ve met a lot of people
through over five decades,
and they’re decent human
beings. They’ll manage to
make good profits for their
companies and to include
the movie theaters.”
32
September 2022

THE
COMPANY

Theater ANNIVERSARY
“Our idea has always been
to let people know who we
are by putting on events so
outrageous and fun, that
they will organically talk
and write about us. That’s
always been our learning,
and it’s part of who we are
up to this day.”
25 YEARS
OF ALAMO
DRAFTHOUSE
How a Local Movie Theater in Austin, Texas, Grew to Become
One of the World’s Most Influential Cinema Circuits
BY DANIEL LORIA
34 September 2022

September 2022
35

Theater ANNIVERSARY
In 1994, a 24-year-old Tim League,
then an engineer at Shell Oil in
Bakersfield, California, was driving
to work when he noticed the
words “For Lease” on the marquee
of the Tejon Theatre, a cinema
dating back to the 1940s that had
fallen on hard times. Unhappy with his
original career choice, League was fixated
on the idea of opening his own movie
theater. He spent the rest of that week
researching the exhibition business—
driving to Los Angeles to pick up a copy
of Boxoffice Pro as a reference—and
putting together a rough business plan.
Within a week, Tim League had signed
the lease on his first cinema.
League ran that movie theater in
California as an art house, side by side
with his girlfriend, Karrie, who quit
her job to manage its operations. The
cinema only lasted two years. By that
time, Tim and Karrie had gotten married
and were determined to find a way to
realize their dream as exhibitors in a new
market where they could build on their
experience in Bakersfield. The couple
moved into Karrie’s parents’ house for six
months to analyze opportunities, eventually
settling on Austin, Texas, as their next
destination.
“We didn’t know anything about the
exhibition industry when we started,”
says Tim League. “The location in
Bakersfield wasn’t the right spot. It was a
depressed part of town with a high crime
rate. I didn’t go to business school and
had leaped forward without knowing
that all-important mantra: The three
most important things about business are
location, location, location, and we failed
on all three. When we arrived in Austin,
securing the right location became the
most important thing.”
A big university town with a vibrant
film scene, the Texas capital was a center
of 1990s counterculture. Filmmaker
Richard Linklater, the founder of the
Austin Film Society, had helped establish
a grassroots cinephile community in
Austin. It was an ideal site to launch a new
theater—if they could secure a lease and
the capital to open it.
The Leagues’ entrepreneurial enthusiasm
was met with a wave of rejections
as they attempted to find a spot in one
of the city’s burgeoning entertainment
districts. Austin was undergoing a
transformative real estate boom in the
BY THE
NUMBERS
Alamo Drafthouse
at a glance
1997
Founded in Austin,
Texas
37
Locations across
the United States
301
Screens across the
United States
late 1990s; landlords weren’t looking to
lease space to a mom-and-pop movie
theater without a proven track record.
Eventually, they found space in what
Tim calls “the second floor of a parking
garage, basically an unrentable space,”
but in a part of town they believed
could work in the long run. The Leagues
scraped together as much money as they
could, taking on loans from their parents,
and remodeling the space themselves
over the next six months.
In 1997, Alamo Drafthouse’s first
location opened on 409 Colorado Street in
Austin, Texas—a one-screen, second-run
site selling discounted tickets. “This one
had to work because, in terms of burn rate,
we could operate for about a month and a
half, two months tops, before we’d be out
of business,” remembers Tim. “Luckily,
three weeks in, we got a nice article in the
Austin American-Statesman, and the very
next weekend the theater was packed. It
was off to the races from there.”
The early years at Alamo Drafthouse
were marked by a strong feeling of
community with the Austin film scene.
“Having Alamo Drafthouse [in Austin]
was revitalizing,” says Lars Nilsen, who
currently serves as the lead programmer
of the Austin Film Society and was a part
of the Alamo team in Austin between 2001
and 2013. “In hindsight, what Alamo did
was to use the resources of the art house
film scene and apply them to a more
popular cinema model. We sought to use
the grassroots messaging and language of
art house cinema and apply it to films we
saw in our youth. Tim League was one of
the first people I met who said, ‘We’re not
going to spend money on newspaper ads
anymore because it doesn’t matter.’ The
whole idea was to put everything into guerilla
marketing and eventize everything
we did to build word of mouth.”
It may not seem revolutionary to
today’s audiences, but in the late ’90s
newspaper advertising was a principal
marketing tool for cinemas. Ads in local
papers were the most common ways
for the moviegoing public to get their
showtimes. According to Tim League,
Alamo Drafthouse stopped running ads in
local papers around a year after opening.
“We’ve always been big on gathering data
from our guests. We polled everybody that
was on our email list at the time—we were
leaning heavily into internet marketing,
which was pretty new at the time,” he
36 September 2022

says. “I think maybe 6 or 7 percent of our
guests were getting their showtimes from
the newspaper—so we just shut it down.
Newspaper advertising was expensive;
you had to run ads every single day. It
made more sense for us to sacrifice that
6 or 7 percent of traffic and spend the
money elsewhere. Our idea has always
been to let people know who we are by
putting on events so outrageous and fun,
that they will organically talk and write
about us. That’s always been our learning,
and it’s part of who we are up to this day.”
Alamo Drafthouse continues to be an
early adopter of digital marketing efforts.
League says that culture has played
an important role in establishing both
brand loyalty and recognition. Alamo has
“Having Alamo Drafthouse
[in Austin] was revitalizing.
In hindsight, what Alamo did
was to use the resources of
the art house film scene and
apply them to a more popular
cinema model.”
invested heavily in its website and mobile
apps and was one of the first movie
theaters to offer digital ticketing in the
United States. “We’ve always been technology-forward,
and it has allowed us to
build a tech team that can compete with
bigger circuits,” he says. “We beat everybody
with online ticketing. Years later,
when MoviePass came out, instead of
yelling ‘The sky is falling!’ we spent six to
eight months building our own subscription
service. The technology in itself isn’t
the main factor, but how we use our voice
through that technology to build a direct
relationship and line of communication
with our guests.”
Alamo Drafthouse began gaining
national attention outside Austin because
September 2022
37

Theater ANNIVERSARY
of the way it eventized the moviegoing
experience. In 1999, the theater launched
a nine-day film festival hosted by
Quentin Tarantino—an early evangelist
of the Alamo Drafthouse model. Other
events, like that year’s Cannibal Film
Festival, which marketed “human flesh
on the screen and on your plate,” drew
the type of attention that prompted
a visit from the health department to
inspect the kitchen, due to concerns of
actual cannibalism.
Cannibalism gags aside, Alamo’s attention
to the dine-in element of its identity
began around that time. In fact, the
Leagues’ first theater in Bakersfield had
experimented with dinner-and-a-movie
nights—The Bicycle Thief paired with dinner
catered by an Italian restaurant, for
“When the opportunity
came to expand further by
franchising, we saw it as a way
to structure the growth of the
company—where you can’t
fly by the seat of your pants,
where you have to invest in
training. The company gained
a different level of maturity by
taking that step.”
example—and they had come to Austin
ready to expand on the concept. During
their honeymoon, which Tim describes
as “a working honeymoon,” the couple
stopped by the cinema-pub McMenamins,
in Portland, Oregon, and drew inspiration
from the model ahead of opening the first
Alamo in Austin. The Leagues tweaked
the dine-in concept in a unique way to fit
their new cinema, even if their combined
experience in the food service sector consisted
of stints waiting tables and working
at a pizza restaurant.
Like any business, the Alamo
Drafthouse encountered new challenges
once it decided to expand beyond a
single location. The second site, Alamo
Drafthouse Village, opened in Austin in
2001, adding a second set of screens—
and a second kitchen—to the burgeoning
cinema chain. Tim League lists the
opening of that second location as one of
the company’s biggest milestones. “We
had to buy a second car,” he remembers.
“We had to learn how to develop our team,
develop managers. We were hands-on,
but our training in the first five years
was awful. We kind of threw people to
the wolves; those that couldn’t grab it
left, and then those that could grab it
scratched their way to a level of understanding—and
that’s not right. When the
opportunity came to expand further by
franchising, we saw it as a way to structure
the growth of the company—where
you can’t fly by the seat of your pants,
where you have to invest in training.
The company gained a different level of
maturity by taking that step.”
The Leagues accepted an offer to
implement a franchise model in 2004,
whereby ownership would be split
between the Leagues, who retained
control of the Austin locations, and
franchisees. This created two different
Alamo Drafthouse experiences—with
different websites, menus, and management
groups running their respective
sides of the company. “By 2004, Karrie
and I were having a hard time coming to
grips with growth and moving beyond
the Austin market,” he says. “That’s really
why we split [the company], leaving
Karrie and me to run the Austin locations.
During that time, we focused our efforts
on developing and defining the identity
of the brand.” During that period, the
Leagues launched projects like the Mondo
movie-themed merchandise brand, in
38 September 2022

2004, and Fantastic Fest, a genre film
festival, in 2005.
As Alamo Drafthouse embraced
expansion, it was also forced to streamline
its kitchen operations to provide
a consistent dining experience. Trish
Eichelberger, who currently serves as the
circuit’s director of food and beverage,
first joined Alamo Drafthouse in 2005—
amid that expansion—as an assistant
kitchen manager in Austin. “I was
brought on from a fine-dining restaurant
in Austin that Tim and Karrie frequented.
They liked eating there, and they hired
some of us to elevate the menu at the
four locations they were overseeing at the
time,” she says. “The menu looked very
different back then. There were a lot more
convenience foods, things you could just
throw into an oxy fryer, and our job was
to transition to items we could cook and
serve.” That transition began with the
opening of the Leagues’ South Lamar
location in Austin, their biggest site to
date. Alamo Drafthouse began operating
more formally as a restaurant kitchen:
marinating chicken and mixing salad
dressings in-house instead of serving
them from store-bought bottles.
Alamo Drafthouse continued to
expand, operating as two different circuits
under the same brand from 2004 until,
over the course of what Tim League calls
“a fateful pancake breakfast” in 2010, he
was named CEO of the combined circuit.
“Once we merged everything, that’s when
we got into growth mode, seized some
opportunities, and started growing more
quickly,” he says. By that point, many of
the Alamo’s trademarks had already been
introduced—its unique pre-show comprised
of archival footage oddities, eclectic
programming series with deep-cut
genre treasures, and a strict no-talking,
no-interruptions policy. League credits
the no-interruptions policy to a raucous
screening of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet,
where cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon were
sold at a deep discount. The atmosphere
was so unruly that League decided to
institute the policy the very next day. It
didn’t take long before he had to enforce
the policy personally—after a screening,
in Austin, at which he reprimanded a
patron, the disgruntled moviegoer began
shouting at him. He was sure the guy was
about to throw a punch, until another
audience member tapped the yelling man
on the shoulder. That second patron was
none other than Quentin Tarantino, who
came to League’s defense and prevented
any escalation—or so the legend goes.
“Tim didn’t like the way people were
clowning around and talking over a
movie; that was the origin of it,” says
Laird Jimenez, who currently leads the
team producing Alamo’s public service
announcement (PSA) snipes. “The PSAs
started as funny found-footage clips that
we could use to explain the policy. Now
we have celebrities and studios wanting to
provide us with custom-made videos. It’s
a balancing act, because we don’t want to
be unwelcoming. Some people are turned
off by how strict we make it seem, but
we just want everybody to have a good
time. If you can’t watch a movie without
ruining the experience for 20 other people,
then you’re doing it wrong. We feel like
the best way to get that message across is
with humor, because none of us takes this
stuff that seriously.”
The PSAs are part of Alamo’s preshow—the
circuit eschews cinema advertising—and
early versions were produced
on VHS tapes, with programmers like
Lars Nilsen and Tommy Swenson editing
September 2022
39

Theater ANNIVERSARY
together archival clips that had been
unearthed by a community of found-footage
aficionados. The pre-shows remain
a staple of the Alamo Drafthouse experience,
and many still include vintage
exhibition snipes and found-footage
oddities. Some are more serious-minded.
Earlier this year, for example, Alamo
Drafthouse included a video essay by
Ray Loyd, creative director of the Austin
Asian American Film Festival, telling the
history of Asian American representation
on-screen during its pre-show
for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
“That’s an example of edutainment at a
level we hadn’t done before; it took our
pre-show to a new place,” says Jimenez.
“There are certain movies where it would
be inappropriate to have a pre-show that
comes off as too silly.”
Alamo Drafthouse’s programming is
as eclectic as its pre-shows. Sitting somewhere
between an art house and a commercial
multiplex, the circuit programs
everything from specialty titles to repertory
selections to the latest offerings from
Hollywood’s major studios. One of the circuit’s
biggest strengths against its competitors
is its robust repertory programming
series on off-peak nights. That’s when its
programmers host esoteric gems from a
variety of diverse genres to drive traffic
during otherwise quiet days of the week.
“The origin of everything is fandom,” says
Jimenez. “Tim League loves genre movies
and wanted an excuse to get together on
Wednesday nights to show these prints he
had. That is how our Weird Wednesday
and Terror Tuesday series started. You
can go see a Marvel movie at any theater
on a Wednesday night, which is usually
slow for business anyway, so what can
Alamo offer that’s different? Since we
have a programming staff, we can play
a range of things—from a sure hit that
even an algorithm could pick, like The
Goonies, to deep cuts. Earlier this summer,
I programmed a 1987 Hong Kong movie
on 35 mm, and we had a three-quartersfull
theater. It outperformed Top Gun:
Maverick in the same slot. The audience
is there, you just have to build it. It’s not
something that happens overnight.”
As the years, passed Alamo’s curatorial
approach to programming expanded to
reach more diverse audience segments.
Sarah Pitre first joined Alamo Drafthouse
as a programmer in 2008. “My boyfriend
at the time—who is now my husband—
had been working there since the early
years. One day he came over to my apartment
and was looking through all my
DVDs—mostly romantic comedies and
other female-focused films—and asked
me how often I watched those movies.
I was like, ‘All the time!’ Alamo wasn’t
showing those films back then; there was
a big blind spot in terms of programming.
So he talked to Tim and they invited
me to come in and program a series on
female-driven titles.”
Pitre launched that series, initially
called Girlie Night and retitled
Champagne Cinema in 2008. The series
claimed a spot on Tuesday nights at
Alamo’s Ritz location in downtown
Austin, with shows letting out just as the
Terror Tuesday horror screenings would
begin seating. “I remember standing in
the lobby and seeing the most opposite
audiences cross paths,” she says. “We had
a lot of women and gay men attending.
They’d flood out of the auditorium giddy
on the movie and champagne just as all
these dudes in black T-shirts made their
way into Terror Tuesday. Those ships
passing in the night, that mix of people
in the lobby, that’s Alamo Drafthouse.
That is what we do. We’re a home for
those women who love romantic comedies
and those dudes who love their cult
horror movies. Those Tuesday nights are
the greatest illustration of what Alamo
Drafthouse excels in: celebrating all kinds
of different films and different audiences.”
Today, Pitre acts as the circuit’s head
film buyer, one of the most important
executive roles at any cinema chain. She
says her early days as an Austin-based
programmer was the ideal training
ground for the role. “We weren’t yet at
the phase where we had to do national
programming,” she remembers. “We were
a small team that had a lot of freedom
to focus on Austin and connect with our
local audience. It taught me how to listen
to audiences and serve particular demographics
in an area. Those are lessons I
took with me over the years, as we went
from programming three theaters in
Austin to 36 across the country. We want
A BRIEF HISTORY
OF ALAMO
DRAFTHOUSE
“A wildly incomplete list
of things that we can
remember.” Courtesy of
Alamo Drafthouse
1998
First celebrity
appearance
at Alamo, with
exploitation-cinema
pioneer Doris
Wishman.
1999
First Cannibal Film Festival
featuring “human flesh on the
screen and on your plate.”
The health department
inspects the kitchen due to
community complaints of
cannibalism at the theater.
2000
First Master Pancake
show (then called
Mister Sinus Theater
3000) with Nude on
the Moon.
1997
Alamo Drafthouse
opens in Austin with
a double feature of
Raising Arizona and
This Is Spinal Tap.
1998
First movie feast
for Like Water for
Chocolate. The
five-course meal is
timed to the delivery
of dishes in the film.
1999
First nine-day
QT Fest, hosted
by Quentin
Tarantino.
40 September 2022

to be the home for movie fans of all kinds.
It’s less about genres and more focused
on celebrating cinema in general. No
matter what kind of movie you’re a fan of,
we want you to have the best experience
at the Alamo. That’s what has informed
our expansion in programming as we’ve
expanded as a circuit.”
Alamo ramped up its expansion efforts
once the company was united under Tim
League in 2010. That growth coincided
with a national dine-in cinema boom, as
competing circuits specializing in the
concept—players like Studio Movie Grill,
Movie Tavern, and Ipic—began pursuing
a similar strategy. John Smith, who joined
Alamo Drafthouse in 2013 and currently
serves as senior film programmer, says
that the difficulty of executing the dine-in
model was one of the main challenges of
going from a local cinema to a national
chain. “The things you have to think
about and plan for are so much more complicated
when you add food and alcohol,”
he says. “At a normal theater, you can
put up a gymnasium-sized building, buy
some projectors, add a concession stand
in the middle—and you’re good to go.
With [dine-in], you also have to account
for a full working kitchen that can support
the same number of people as an Olive
Garden. Then you’ve got to be able to
structure your showtimes so that you’re
not showing three or four sold-out shows
simultaneously, otherwise, you get 400
to 500 people trying to order a burger at
the same time. Over time, we developed a
“We want to be the home for
movie fans of all kinds. It’s
less about genres and more
focused on celebrating cinema
in general. No matter what
kind of movie you’re a fan of.”
better sense of how to execute this concept
in the right markets.”
As Alamo went national, so did its
menu. Trish Eichelberger recalls learning
about the public’s regional tastes as the
circuit added sites in different parts of
the country. The pizza sauce, for example,
proved too spicy for diners in Yonkers,
New York. In Brooklyn, the F&B team
was initially too intimidated to include
pizza on the menu. They only introduced
it after realizing pizza was prevalent
everywhere else in Brooklyn and their
own recipe could hold its own. Before
the supply chain disruption caused by
the pandemic in 2020, Alamo Drafthouse
built its menus around a philosophy of 70
2001
A second
location, Alamo
Drafthouse Village,
opens in Austin.
2001
John Favreau and
Vince Vaughn drive
cross-country and
make a surprise
appearance at
a screening of
Swingers.
2003
Alamo Drafthouse
serves its first fried
pickle.
2005
The first Rolling Roadshow
tour hits the road. A
scrappy eight-person
team stages epic screenings
of famous movies at
landmarks across the U.S.
2001
Weird Wednesday
launches with a
screening of the
underwater Nazi
zombie classic,
Shock Waves.
2001
First Rolling Roadshow,
Alamo’s experiential
outdoor screening
series, takes place
with a Deliverance
canoe trip.
2002
Rolling Roadshow
No. 2: Jaws on
the water.
2004
Mondo is born. Tim League converts
a four-by-four former ticket
booth into Mondotees.com, a
vintage iron-on T-shirt shop that
eventually develops into the
Mondo merchandise brand.
September 2022
41

Theater ANNIVERSARY
percent core items and 30 percent local
fare from area vendors. This allowed the
flexibility to craft food and alcohol menus
to suit local tastes.
Nationally, some of the chain’s
best-selling national menu items over-index
in certain markets. In San Francisco,
which League has called the circuit’s most
difficult location to open, sales of Alamo’s
chips and queso—a stalwart appetizer in
Austin—is known to outperform popcorn
on occasion. Other iconic dishes, like its
buffalo cauliflower, emerged as a result
of special limited-time menus. “We
originally put our buffalo cauliflower in a
separate section of the menu; it was kind
of relegated. We had it there so our vegan
“A lot of our growth has been
opportunistic, but moving
into L.A. and New York was
by design, to have more of an
influence in exhibition.”
customers could feel a little indulgent, too.
Now it’s one of our top sellers,” she says.
League cites the opening of Alamo’s
Los Angeles (2019) and New York locations
(Brooklyn in 2016, lower Manhattan
in 2021) as another important milestone
in the company’s history. “It increased
the visibility of what we can do. There
are a lot of independent films that rely
on New York/L.A. openings. A lot of
our growth has been opportunistic, but
moving into L.A. and New York was by
design, to have more of an influence in
exhibition,” he says.
Those theaters offer insight into the
future of Alamo Drafthouse’s new builds:
more screens and smaller auditoriums
to better accommodate more diversity
in programming. “Lower Manhattan
was specifically designed to have a lot of
small auditoriums. That way we could
accommodate the Pixars of the world,
but we could also play the latest from
IFC, Variance, or other smaller distributors,”
says Sarah Pitre. “To me, our lower
Manhattan and downtown L.A. locations
are my dream theaters because you have
a lot more freedom to program, even
though the auditoriums are smaller.
That’s how, in our L.A. theater, for example,
we can sell out Top Gun: Maverick
and a movie like Gaspar Noé’s Vortex in
the same evening.”
Alamo Drafthouse’s evolution from
a community movie theater to one of
the country’s 20 largest cinema circuits
has come with its share of operational
2007
Alamo’s first
location, on Austin’s
Colorado Street,
closes.
2008
First Terror
Thursday (now
known as Terror
Tuesday) opens
with Demons.
2011
An angry moviegoer, kicked
out of an Alamo Drafthouse
for texting, leaves a voicemail
calling the cinema a
“crappy-ass theater.” It
becomes one of the chain’s
most popular PSAs.
2016
Alamo’s first NYC
theater opens in
Brooklyn.
2005
Screenwriter Tim
McCanlies challenges Tim
League to start a festival
inspired by Sitges. League
accepts the challenge,
and Fantastic Fest is born.
2009
First San Antonio,
Texas, and
northern Virginia
theaters open.
2015
Alamo Drafthouse’s
San Francisco
location opens.
42 September 2022

crises. In the years preceding the pandemic,
the company faced criticism from
former employees claiming it minimized
reports of sexual harassment and that
several locations fostered a hostile work
environment. Allegations of workplace
misconduct continued into 2020, and the
organization was soon struggling to cope
with another crisis—the disruption of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Tim League stepped
down as CEO in April of that year. A large
portion of its staff was let go in the ensuing
months as the chain downsized on the
heels of the pandemic’s cinema closures.
“It was one of the hardest moments I’ve
had, looking in the mirror and deciding
that maybe I’m not the perfect CEO for the
company,” says League, who now acts as
Alamo Drafthouse’s executive chairman.
“I think I have a lot to offer and will always
have a lot to offer. I find myself drawn to
the marketing and events, the branding,
the design, and the look and feel of the
theater. But I was never terribly good at
operations. In the early days, I would be in
the booth running projection, and while I
was up there, I would do all the marketing,
design, and anything on the technology
side. Karrie would run the business and
handle the team; she did H.R., payroll, and
finance. She steadily replaced herself with
exceptional people, with stronger abilities
than her own. Moving forward, as we grow,
I like being on the brand-positioning side
of things. Building a world-class operations
engine and training organization has
not been one of my strengths.”
In its darkest hour, Alamo Drafthouse
turned to veteran executive Shelli
Copelan Taylor to take the reins as CEO.
Having prior experience at companies
like Starbucks and Planet Fitness, she
entered the role with the knowledge
and experience Alamo Drafthouse
needed to excel and expand on the
national stage. “Growth and change are
always grounded in our purpose to be
the best damn cinema that has or ever
will exist. And change only happens
through incredible individuals who
come together as a team,” she says. “We
do not think about change as much as we
think about the voices and input of our
stakeholders—from teammates, guests,
franchisees, studios, industry partners,
and investors—in how we are striving to
achieve our purpose. Over the past two
years, we have doubled down on efforts
to support and build our internal team,
to simplify what we do in pursuit of creating
the chemistry that can only happen
in a movie theater when an incredible
film and audience come together for the
ultimate community experience.”
Alamo Drafthouse filed for Chapter
11 bankruptcy protection in March 2021,
emerging three months later with a new
ownership group and plans to expand
to additional U.S. markets. Taylor has
spent time making sure that the circuit’s
corporate culture can recuperate from its
recent turmoil. She has instituted workplace
resolution resources in individual
locations and established a one-stop
helpline for staff. “We have made or are
making progress in communication,
health care, and wages,” she says. “We
have increased communication and
transparency throughout the organization
in both formal and informal methods. We
have increased hourly pay from 25 to 40
percent, depending on the market, and
we are expanding our health care program
to be more accessible to more teammates,
particularly our theater teammates.”
New executive hires, like the appointment
of exhibition veteran Heather
Morgan—with executive experience at
top-10 circuits like AMC and Harkins
Theatres—as Alamo’s chief of staff and
strategy, bolster the chain’s credentials
as one of the country’s leading circuits
and its ambitions to grow in the coming
years. Alamo Drafthouse is scheduled to
expand its presence in existing markets
with new sites on Staten Island (its fourth
in New York), a second Washington, D.C.,
location, Grand Prairie (the fifth in the
Dallas–Fort Worth area), and Glendale,
Colorado (the fourth site in the Denver
area). The circuit will also be entering new
markets in the coming years, including
St. Louis, Chicago, Birmingham, and
Boston—with an additional city expected
to be announced this fall.
Alamo Drafthouse has refocused its
efforts on exhibition in recent years.
Ancillary properties, like the movie-focused
website Birth.Movies.Death, specialty
distributor Drafthouse Films, and
the movie merchandise brand Mondo,
2017
Alamo Victory
rewards program
reaches 1 million
members.
2018
Video Vortex launches,
with VHS and DVD
rentals available
inside select Alamo
Drafthouse locations.
2019
Alamo Drafthouse
opens its South
Lamar theater in
Austin, dedicated to
Bong Joon-Ho.
2017
Charlottesville
(Virginia) and
Springfield
(Missouri)
theaters open.
2018
First Raleigh
(North Carolina)
theater opens.
2019
First Los Angeles
theater opens.
2021
Alamo Drafthouse
opens its second NYC
location, in lower
Manhattan, dedicated
to Ivan Reitman.
September 2022
43

Theater ANNIVERSARY
have been sold since the onset of the pandemic.
Drafthouse Films launched in 2010
with its first title, the British dark comedy
Four Lions, and continued contributing
festival acquisitions to U.S. theaters until
League stepped away to co-found Neon
in 2017. Alamo sold Drafthouse Films
to Giant Pictures in March of this year.
Mondo, which began as an iron-on T-shirt
side gig run out of a former Alamo ticket
booth, was sold to the pop culture collectibles
brand Funko in June.
One part of the business that Alamo
Drafthouse has no plans of parting with
is Fantastic Fest, the annual genre film
festival held in Austin, which Tim League
calls “integral” to the company’s wider
efforts in promoting film culture. All in all,
the strategy seems to be paying off. Taylor
says that Alamo Drafthouse is quickly
closing in on 2019 revenues, and several
locations are outperforming 2019 results
“and all expectations.”
“Every day we are pushing to increase
the diversity and breadth of titles that
we celebrate with our audiences,” she
says. “We are innovating against the
“Most importantly, we will
continue to build a culture
and team of movie lovers,
for movie lovers—so that
the passion that runs deep
today, runs even deeper in
the future.”
physical experience in the areas of projection,
sound, line of sight, and seating
for every guest. We are working to remove
all distractions during the movie while
continuing to serve the best scratch food
and beer available. We will continue to
expand unique Alamo events such as
Fantastic Fest, Rolling Roadshow, movie
parties, talent Q&A, and so much more.
And most importantly, we will continue
to build a culture and team of movie lovers,
for movie lovers—so that the passion
that runs deep today, runs even deeper in
the future.
44 September 2022

Q-SYS congratulates Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
for 25 years of moviegoing excellence.
It’s no wonder that moviegoers regularly choose Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas
as their favorite theatre. Q-SYS shares the same drive for creating exceptional
experiences, and it’s why we’re proud to be the cinema sound system supplier
for so many of their multiplexes.
qsys.com/cinema
©2022 QSC, LLC all rights reserved. Q-SYS is part of QSC, LLC. QSC, LLC’s trademarks include but are not limited to Q-SYS, Q-SYS logo,
and all trademarks are listed under www.qsys.com/trademarks, some of which are registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Does your
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UNIFORMITY?
Know what others
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Sept 2022
45

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
THE
MOVIEGOER’S
GUIDE TO:
AUSTIN
From the Alamo Drafthouse to the Violet Crown, a
Cinephile’s Complete Guide to One of the World’s
Most Vibrant Exhibition Scenes
BY DANIEL LORIA
At once a college town and state
capital, Austin, Texas, is known for
a diverse and eclectic community that
inspired the city’s “Keep Austin Weird”
slogan. Despite the rising rents and largescale
redevelopment projects that have
changed the city’s character in recent
years, Austin remains a vibrant arts and
culture destination. From hosting film
festivals like Fantastic Fest and South
by Southwest to being the birthplace of
celebrated dine-in cinema chain Alamo
Drafthouse, Austin offers cinephiles a
range of great moviegoing experiences.
Lars Nilsen, the lead film programmer
for the Austin Film Society, credits
campus film societies that emerged at the
University of Texas in the 1960s and ’70s
as the creators of the city’s contemporary
film scene. “Groups like CinemaTexas and
Cinema 40 were pioneering organizations.
You had people like Jean-Luc Godard and
Andy Warhol coming to Austin to show
their films. That’s part of what attracted
Richard Linklater to come here and start
the Austin Film Society.”
The influence of Richard Linklater
on Austin’s film community cannot be
overstated. The Austin Film Society (AFS)
was founded by the filmmaker in 1985, well
before he became an established figure in
American independent cinema. It served
as a second home to countless cinephiles
over the years, including University of
Texas alum Wes Anderson. AFS was
founded the same year Vulcan Video, an
independently owned video rental store,
first opened its doors and began acting as a
hub for the city’s movie lovers.
By the mid-’90s, Austin seemed
like the ideal place for Tim and Karrie
League to move to and open their dream
movie theater, the Alamo Drafthouse.
Their first site in the city opened in
1997, in a less-than-ideal space in a
bourgeoning entertainment district
on Colorado Street. The Leagues were
undeterred, having faith that the city
would nurture their theater. “Austin is
a place where lot of people go out for
entertainment: eating, dining, movies,
music, comedy—it’s a lively, vivacious
town,” says Tim League. “Having the
University of Texas as an anchor is
huge. They have a really strong radio,
television, and film program at the
university. Richard Linklater being here,
co-founding the Austin Film Society,
was also hugely influential. You had
other filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez,
Terrence Malick, and Mike Judge. You
would see those guys at screenings—
they’re all movie lovers—and it’s
exciting to be part of a movie-loving
“Austin is a place where
lot of people go out for
entertainment: eating,
dining, movies, music,
comedy—it’s a lively,
vivacious town.”
46 September 2022

AUSTIN’S
GIANTS OF
EXHIBITION
Circuits with the
highest screen
count in the city
1.
Regal
Screens: 49
Sites: 4
2.
Alamo Drafthouse
Screens: 37
Sites: 5
3.
AMC Theatres
Screens: 24
Sites: 2
4.
Cinépolis Luxury
Cinemas
(Moviehouse
& Eatery)
Screens: 20
Sites: 2
5.
Cinemark (Tie)
Screens: 14
Sites: 1
community like that. They fostered this
community of cinephiles. Everything
just blossomed from there. I think Alamo
has certainly done its part over the years
to grow and build these local audiences.
One of the things we’ve always measured
at Alamo is finding those customers who
only go to one movie a year, who clearly
aren’t habitual moviegoers, and turn
that one visit to three or four per year.
That’s how you build an audience in a
movie-loving town.”
Today, Austin counts on 200 screens
to serve a quickly growing population
of more than a million people. In our
inaugural Moviegoer’s Guide series,
Boxoffice Pro takes a look at the city’s
exhibition scene—from art houses to
multiplexes, dine-ins, drive-ins, and
everything in between. This guide aims to
be current as of its publication date, and
due to space constraints, we’ve omitted
pop-up and seasonal screening venues,
cultural or performance spaces that don’t
primarily function as cinemas, and movie
theaters in nearby cities and towns—with
apologies to nearby Round Rock, Texas,
which has excellent moviegoing choices
of its own.
EVO Cinemas (Tie)
Screens: 14
Sites: 1
Screen Share %
2
1
3
4
Other
5
5
24+18+12+10+7+7+22
September 2022
47

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
A DINE-IN
DESTINATION
Austin is the birthplace of Alamo
Drafthouse and is only a three-hour
drive from Dallas, where fellow cinema
eateries Studio Movie Grill and Movie Tavern
were founded. It is also one of the biggest
dine-in cinema markets in the world, with
46 percent of its screens offering a meal-anda-movie
experience. To put that number in
context, research from Omdia reveals that
the dine-in sector only represents around 8
percent of screens in the United States.
Alamo Drafthouse claims the largest
concentration of dine-in screens in the city,
with a total of 37 across its five locations. The
Village site is the Austin circuit’s longestrunning
location, originally opening in 2001
as the chain’s second-ever theater. It still
counts on its 35 mm projectors and has since
incorporated 4K projection with digital 3D
technology, allowing it to screen repertory film
prints alongside Hollywood’s latest releases.
The rest of the circuit’s Austin theaters are
designed with movie-themed lobbies and
lounge bars that provide an ideal setting
for after-movie drinks and discussion. The
Highball, in Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar,
features a full bar with karaoke rooms, a seated
dining area, and a performance space. Alamo
Drafthouse Mueller’s lounge bar, Barrel O’Fun,
features circus-themed bar games for both
kids and adults—a draw for families visiting
the nearby children’s museum and public park.
Alamo’s lobby installations are always part of
the experience. A giant replica of Audrey II, the
man-eating plant from Little Shop of Horrors,
snakes around the Slaughter Lane location’s box
office to greet moviegoers. Known for its fandriven
moviegoing experience, wide selection of
craft beers, and unpretentious menu featuring
indulgent classics like chips and queso and
buffalo cauliflower, Alamo Drafthouse provides
a unique and quintessential moviegoing
experience in Austin.
Mexican multinational chain Cinépolis
entered the U.S. market in 2014 by identifying
two underrepresented segments in American
theaters: luxury and dine-in theaters. Its
acquisition of Texas-based dine-in chain
Moviehouse & Eatery in 2019 thrust the circuit
into one of the world’s most competitive dinein
markets. Austin hosts two Moviehouse &
Eatery locations, both of which are currently
Above.
The Alamo
Drafthouse
Cinema Lakeline
Right. The Alamo
Drafthouse
Cinema Mueller
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
VILLAGE
2700 W. Anderson Lane
Opened: 2001
Screens: 4
Tech & Amenities:
- 35 mm film
- 4K digital projection
- Digital 3D
- Recliners available in every
front row
- Open-air patio with seating
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Lobby bar
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
CINEMA SLAUGHTER
LANE
5701 W. Slaughter Lane
Opened: 2012
Screens: 8
Tech & Amenities:
- 4K digital projection
- Digital 3D
- Luxury recliners in every
auditorium
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- 400 Rabbits, an attached
bar and lounge specializing
in tequila and mezcal
cocktails. The bar also
features outdoor patio
seating, a seated dining
area, and a full bar with
craft beers and curated
cocktails.
48 September 2022

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
CINEMA LAKELINE
14028 N. U.S. Highway 183
Opened: 2013
Screens: 10
Tech & Amenities:
- 35 mm projection
- 4K digital projection with
High Frame Rate (HFR)
- RealD 3D
- Open-air patio with
seating, TVs, and games
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Glass Half Full Taproom, an
attached bar and lounge
for beer lovers, featuring a
wide array of craft beers
and curated cocktails
[Austin] is one of
the biggest dine-in
cinema markets in the
world, with 46 percent
of its screens offering
a meal-and-a-movie
experience.
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
CINEMA MUELLER
1911 Aldrich Street
Opened: 2017
Screens: 6
Tech & Amenities:
- 4K digital projection
- RealD 3D
- Luxury recliners in every
auditorium
- Gender-neutral restrooms
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Barrel O’Fun, an attached
bar and lounge with a
family-friendly event and
performance space. The
boardwalk-themed lounge
includes themed games
available to patrons of
all ages until 8 p.m.—and
accessible to adults in the
evenings. Barrel O’Fun
features a full bar with craft
beer and curated cocktails,
as well as a food menu
featuring old-fashioned
soda fountain snacks.
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE
CINEMA SOUTH
LAMAR
1120 S. Lamar Blvd.
Opened: 2005
Screens: 9
Tech & Amenities:
- 35 mm projection
- 4K digital projection
- RealD 3D
- Open-air patio with seating
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- The Highball, an attached
bar and lounge featuring
themed karaoke rooms,
a seated dining area, a
performance and event
space, and an array of craft
beer and curated cocktails
September 2022
49

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
undergoing a full reseating conversion to
install plush recliners in every auditorium.
Their menus have stalwarts like burgers, pizza,
and sandwiches—but it’s the tacos that stand
out. If you’ve ever had a craving for lobster
tacos at the movies, you’ll find them at both of
Austin’s Moviehouse & Eatery locations.
Moviegoers looking to enjoy their dine-in
experience in a premium large-format (PLF)
auditorium have their pick from the Dolby
Cinema at AMC Dine-In Tech Ridge 10 and
EVO Cinemas Belterra’s private-label EVX
auditorium. AMC’s dedicated dine-in cinema
in Austin also incorporates regular and heated
recliners across its 10 auditoriums. It doesn’t
have a full waitstaff, but customers can order
their meal at the concession stand or through
AMC’s mobile app for in-seat delivery. EVO’s
PLF concept, EVX, includes a giant wall-towall,
floor-to-ceiling screen paired with Dolby
Atmos immersive sound.
On the upscale end of the dine-in spectrum,
iPic Austin offers a luxury moviegoing
experience in North Austin. The circuit’s
trademark Premium Plus recliners, customdesigned
private seating pods for two guests
with a shared table, provide the perfect level
of privacy in a communal setting for a more
intimate moviegoing experience. A dedicated
waitstaff executes an elevated menu with an
extensive wine list. Hand-held and casual
dining options are available, but no other
theater in Austin will give you the opportunity
to order a plate of spicy tuna on crispy rice
with a bottle of champagne to go with it.
Situated in the heart of Austin’s lively
Second Street district, the Violet Crown is
the city’s only first-run downtown cinema
currently in operation.. The independently
owned theater opened in 2011 and quickly
became one of the city’s premier moviegoing
destinations. The Violet Crown has additional
sites in Dallas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and
Charlottesville, Virginia. David Gil, marketing
director of the Violet Crown, says these
cities are similar in “sharing a vibrant
arts community with an appetite beyond
commercial films, but along the cinematic
spectrum including art house, independent,
documentary, and foreign films.” The Violet
Crown engages with its audience through its
email newsletter and social media channels,
operating as a community-run theater that
has hosted its share of charity fundraisers
and pet adoption events. Laser projection and
7.1 surround sounds keep presentations at
the Violet Crown to the highest standards. A
hidden perk of attending a screening? Fourhour
validated parking in downtown Austin.
Above and Right.
Violet Crown,
Austin
MOVIEHOUSE AND
EATERY NW AUSTIN
8300 North FM 620, Building B
Opened: 2012
Screens: 11
Tech & Amenities:
- Newly installed plush
recliner seating
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Full-service lobby bar
MOVIEHOUSE AND
EATERY SW AUSTIN
7415 S.W. Parkway
Opened: 2018
Screens: 9
Tech & Amenities:
- Newly installed plush
recliner seating
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Full-service lobby bar
50 September 2022

AMC DINE-IN TECH
RIDGE 10
12625 N. Interstate Highway
Opened: 2019
Screens: 10
Tech & Amenities:
- Heated AMC Signature
Recliners
- AMC Signature Recliners
- Reserved seating
- Dolby Cinema
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with orders
placed at the concession
stand or mobile app and
delivery to your seat
- MacGuffins bar
- Coca-Cola Freestyle
fountain drinks
EVO CINEMAS
BELTERRA VILLAGE
166 Hargraves Drive
Opened: 2020
Screens: 14
Tech & Amenities:
- Recliner seating
- EVX, EVO’s private-label
PLF, with a wall-to-wall,
floor-to-ceiling giant screen
and Dolby Atmos immersive
sound
Food & Beverage:
- Kiosk ordering for in-theater
dining
- Full bar with beer, wine, and
cocktails, specializing in
craft margaritas
IPIC AUSTIN
3225 Amy Donovan Plaza
Opened: 2010
Screens: 8
Tech & Amenities:
- Premium Plus recliner seats,
custom-designed private
seating pods for two guests
with a shared table for a
more private moviegoing
experience
- Complimentary blankets at
each seat
Food & Beverage:
- Full menu with dedicated
waitstaff delivering food
and drink to your seat
- Full bar with handcrafted
cocktails and beer options
- Extensive wine list, featuring
a selection of red, white,
and sparkling wine by the
glass or bottle
Situated in the heart
of Austin’s lively
Second Street district,
the Violet Crown is
the city’s only first-run
downtown cinema
currently in operation.
VIOLET CROWN
AUSTIN
434 W. Second Street
Opened: 2011
Screens: 4
Tech & Amenities:
- Laser projection
- 7.1 surround sound
- Seating with tray-tables for
in-theater dining
- Each auditorium’s front row
is equipped with ottomans
for a more relaxed
experience.
Food & Beverage:
- Full made-to-order-menu
at the concession stand,
available to be taken in and
enjoyed in any auditorium
- Full bar with 17 rotating taps
of beer, movie-themed
cocktails, and select wines
by the glass
September 2022
51

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
THE MULTIPLEX
EXPERIENCE
Regal is Austin’s largest exhibitor
by screen count, operating 49
auditoriums across four multiplexes and
representing nearly a quarter of the city’s
total screens. All their locations have
the hallmarks of a modern multiplex—
from staples at the concession stand to
stadium seating in its large auditoriums.
For PLF enthusiasts, the Regal Gateway
location boasts an Imax screen and
a 4DX immersive-seating auditorium.
Galaxy Theatres Highland is the only
other Austin cinema to offer motion
seating, featuring D-Box seats for select
titles. Additional PLF auditoriums can be
found at the AMC Barton Creek Square
14, which offers both an Imax and Dolby
Cinema auditorium.
Above. Moviehouse
and Eatery, Austin
Right. Galaxy
Highland Cinema
AMC BARTON CREEK
SQUARE 14
2901 Capital of Texas Hwy.
Opened: 1994
Screens: 14
Tech & Amenities:
- AMC Signature Recliner
seating
- Imax
- Dolby Cinema
Food & Beverage:
- MacGuffins Bar
CINEMARK AUSTIN
SOUTHPARK
MEADOWS
9900 S. IH-35 Service Road
Screens: 14
Tech & Amenities:
- RealD 3D
- Luxury Lounger Recliner
seating
REGAL ARBOR AT
GREAT HILLS
9828 Great Hills Trail
Opened: 2003
Screens: 8
52 September 2022

AUSTIN’S PLF
EXPERIENCES
REGAL WESTGATE
4577 S. Lamar Boulevard
Opened: 1986
Screens: 11
Tech & Amenities:
- Recliner seating
- Stadium seating
REGAL
METROPOLITAN
901 Little Texas Lane
Opened: 1999
Screens: 14
Tech & Amenities:
- Stadium seating
GALAXY HIGHLAND
6700 Middle Fiskville Road
Opened: 2001
Screens: 10
Tech & Amenities:
- D-Box
SOUTHWEST THEATERS
LAKE CREEK 7
13729 Research Blvd. #1500
Screens: 7
Tech & Amenities:
- Luxury recliners
- Food & Beverage:
- Beer & Wine
4DX
Regal Gateway
D-BOX
Galaxy Highland
DOLBY CINEMA
AMC Barton
Square 14
AMC Dine-In Tech
Ridge 14
EVX
(EVO Cinema’s
Private Label PLF)
EVO Belterra
Village
IMAX
AMC Barton
Square 14
Bullock Museum
Theatre
Regal Gateway
REGAL GATEWAY
9700 Stonelake Blvd.
Opened: 1997
Screens: 16
Tech & Amenities:
- Digital 3D
- 4DX
- Imax
- Stadium seating
Regal is Austin’s
largest exhibitor
by screen count,
operating 49
auditoriums across
four multiplexes and
representing nearly a
quarter of the city’s
total screens.
September 2022
53

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
ART HOUSES, HISTORIC THEATERS,
AND MUSEUM CINEMAS
Since its founding in 1985, the
Austin Film Society (AFS) has
hosted screenings multiple times per
month at a variety of Austin venues, from
the now defunct Dobie Theatre to local
classrooms. AFS found a permanent home
for its screenings in 2017, taking over the
lease of a former theater and rebranding
the space as its own. “We knew we
didn’t want to be an art house only
showing first-run films from specialty
distributors—Austin already has that—
but we didn’t want to be a cinematheque
that just did repertory screenings either,”
says AFS’s Lars Nilsen, who joined the
organization after a 14-year tenure at
Alamo Drafthouse. Nilsen mentions New
York’s Film Forum as an inspiration for
AFS Cinema, “an eclectic mix of first-run
art house and repertory series.” Inside the
spacious lobby, the AFS Cinema has an
extensive gallery of film posters and art on
display, some of it coming from Richard
Linklater’s personal collection. “It’s not
exactly a museum, but it’s one of the best
exhibition spaces for film posters that
you’ll find anywhere in the world,” says
Nilsen.
A pair of historic single-screen
downtown theaters add classical
Hollywood glamour to Austin’s cinema
scene. The Paramount Theatre (dating
back to 1915) and the State Theatre (1935)
are both managed by the Austin Theatre
Alliance and regularly host repertory
programming and film series throughout
the year. Moviegoers looking for the
best Imax experience in Austin can head
over to the Bullock Texas State History
Museum, which hosts a first-run, state-
Left. Blue Startlite
Mini Urban Drive-In:
Mueller
Above. AFS Cinema
Right. Paramount
Theatre
54 September 2022

AFS CINEMA
6406 North Interstate 35,
Suite 3100
Opened: 2017
Screens: 2
Tech & Amenities:
- Vintage film poster and
soundtrack gallery
Food & Beverage:
- Full bar with a rotating
selection of draft beer, local
and international wines,
and craft cocktails
BLUE STARLITE MINI
URBAN DRIVE-IN:
MUELLER
2015 E M. Franklin Avenue
Opened: 2013
Screens: 5
Tech & Amenities
- 3 mini drive-in screens
available for private rental
- 2 experiential outdoor
screens, a tiki beach screen,
and a forest-themed screen
BLUE STARLITE MINI
URBAN DRIVE-
IN: ROOFTOP
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
300 San Antonio Street
Opened: 2020
Screens: 2
Food & Beverage:
- Food delivery available
from participating local
restaurants
BULLOCK MUSEUM
IMAX
1800 Congress Avenue
Opened: 2001
Screens: 1
Tech & Amenities:
- Imax
- Imax 3D
- 35 mm
PARAMOUNT
THEATRE
713 Congress Avenue
Opened: 1915
Screens: 1
Tech & Amenities:
- 35 mm and digital projection
STATESIDE THEATRE
719 Congress Avenue
Opened: 1935
Screens: 1
Tech & Amenities:
- 35 mm and digital projection
September 2022
55

Theater THE MOVIEGOER’S GUIDE TO AUSTIN
“Austin is the sort of place
where everyone is trying
to come up with their own
original idea; I love that
about this town.”
of-the-art Imax auditorium playing the
latest studio releases.
Austin’s Blue Starlite Mini Urban
Drive-In offers the most unusual outdoor
moviegoing experiences in Austin. Its
original location in Austin’s residential
Mueller neighborhood plays both first-run
and repertory titles on five screens, with
an additional three mini-screens that
can accommodate a single car available
for private rental. Owner Josh Frank,
who launched the concept in 2013, calls
it the next evolution of the micro-theater
concept: adding an experiential element
to the drive-in experience. Frank credits
Austin’s cinema scene as an inspiration
for his approach to experiential
screenings. “It was very inspiring to see
the Alamo Drafthouse gain prominence,”
he says. “Here’s a married couple that
said, ‘We’re going to open a movie theater,’
and they did it better than anyone else.”
The idea first came to Frank by
accident. In 2009, he rigged a shortthrow
projector to show movies on the
side of a trailer to draw attention to a
food truck selling desserts next to a
popular taco shop. “People would get
their tacos and come watch the movie,
without necessarily buying any desserts,”
he says, laughing. “It made me realize I
had stumbled into a different business
altogether.”
“Austin is the sort of place where
everyone is trying to come up with their
own original idea; I love that about this
town,” he says. “We already have the
best cinema experience with the Alamo
Drafthouse, so what could I do that could
be considered different? The last thing
I wanted to do was to compete with
their model. At the same time, you have
multiplexes, the Austin Film Society, and an
upscale downtown art house like the Violet
Crown. I wanted to build out my own niche,
and the world of outdoor experiential is still
very much in its infancy.”
Frank identified some of the issues
affecting drive-ins in urban areas: they
were far from the city center and, more
importantly, required the tenant to go
all-in on a large, empty lot of land. To
work in a city setting, an outdoor cinema
would have to adopt the model of a microcinema:
large enough to draw an audience
but small enough to be able to pick up and
change sites in case a real estate developer
came knocking. “I originally thought it
was going to be a pop-up experience, but
people took it seriously and kept coming
back,” he says. “Here we are 13 years later,
and we’re continuing to build outdoor
movie experiences in Austin.”
The Blue Starlite has two outdoor
experiential screens in Mueller. A tiki
beach–themed space with lawn chairs
and blankets is a consistent draw
whenever they put Jaws on the screen.
Their forest screen has a larger screen
and can accommodate more people in a
setting surrounded by trees. In summer,
Frank uses a fog machine to create the
perfect backdrop for repertory horror
screenings of films like Friday the 13th.
Earlier this year, independent distributor
Neon reached out to the Blue Starlite to
host special experiential screenings of
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Memoria
on its forest screen.
“The key is to create an outdoor space
that’s goes beyond an inflatable screen in a
field,” says Frank. “We start by looking for a
space that would be great for a movie, and
work to create a venue that gives it a sense
of permanence. That’s what makes indoor
theaters work—they’re in a fixed space
that people can come back to. The idea is
to re-create that outside, find an enclosed
outdoor space where the rest of the world
can disappear behind the big screen.”
The Blue Starlite opened its second
Austin location in 2020 on a rooftop in
Austin’s downtown. It programs its two
screens with first-run studio titles and
partners with area restaurants to offer onsite
food delivery. This summer, the Blue
Starlite is partnering with Capital Cruises
to bring a screening series to the Austin
waterfront. Moviegoers can buy a ticket to
see a film on a floating platform in front
of the city’s skyline. Those with their
own kayaks, paddleboards, or canoes can
simply boat-in to catch the show.
Data Compiled by Daniel Loria,
Matt Parillo, and Emmy Ribero
56 September 2022

THE
COMPANY

Visionary Award 60 | Lifetime Acheivement 70 | Texan of the Year 72
CINESHOW
“We always look at how to improve things at the concession stand.
We redesigned our candy cases so we could display our products to
the customer and fulfill their orders as quickly as possible.”
Frank Liberto Award, p. 66
September 2022
59

CINÉSHOW VISIONARY AWARD
A VISION FOR
THE FUTURE
CineShow 2022 Visionary
Award: Interview with Jamie
and Jeff Benson, Founders,
Cinergy Entertainment
BY DANIEL LORIA
Jamie and Jeff Benson weren’t
planning on becoming exhibitors—
much less entrepreneurs—when they
began their careers as certified public
accountants. The job security of working at
Deloitte, one of the “big four” accounting
firms, was hard to pass up—at least until
Jeff was assigned to take on a movie theater
client, Silver Cinemas, in 1995. Three years
later, Jamie and Jeff had gotten married,
and they decided to take the plunge and
open their first cinema together. The
Bensons’ first movie theater opened in
1999 in the town of Granbury, Texas—a
short drive from Fort Worth. It would
become the first of many new sites the
couple would open, including pioneering
concepts like dine-in, as founders of
Movie Tavern, and, most recently, family
entertainment centers, after starting
Cinergy Entertainment in 2009.
Jamie and Jeff Benson joined
Boxoffice Pro to talk about their careers
as exhibitors ahead of receiving the
Visionary Award at CineShow 2022.
Let’s start back in 1998. You guys were
coming home from you honeymoon,
and that’s when Jeff quit his job at
Deloitte to become an exhibitor.
Jamie: He doesn’t believe me when
I say this, but I didn’t think it would
really happen.
Jeff: You didn’t think I was serious! Even
though I had written piles of business
plans, floor to ceiling.
Jamie: I don’t come from an
entrepreneurial background, Jeff doesn’t
either. I didn’t have anyone that I could
look to and say, “Oh yeah, you really can
start your own business.” We were just
two CPAs working for big firms. I wasn’t
sure that opening our own theater would
really happen.
What led to the opening of your first
theater together?
Jamie: Before we caught our flight home
from our honeymoon, back in the days
when you had to call in and check your
voicemail, we found out that we had
gotten the loan. They said that the final
decision on the board approval to give us
the loan came because we both passed the
CPA exam on the first try.
Jeff: That was in 1998, when we built
the precursor to Movie Tavern, a small
six-screen theater outside Fort Worth in
the town of Granbury, Texas. It was just
a traditional theater, didn’t have food or
alcohol. We designed and built it from the
ground up, started construction in 1998,
and opened it in 1999.
Then, all the major theater chains—
including my former audit client, Silver
Cinemas—filed bankruptcy. UA went
under. So did General Cinemas and
Loew’s. A lot of theaters were being closed
and left empty with landlords. That’s
what created the opportunity for Movie
Tavern. I think we signed the first Movie
Tavern lease in June of 2001 and opened it
in November of that year. It was a former
General Cinemas location in Fort Worth.
That’s when we realized that we might be
on to something big with the dinner-anda-movie
concept.
That must have been a massive
shift for you guys, going from a nineto-five
office job to working seven
days a week tearing tickets and
selling popcorn.
Jeff: I have a picture of Jamie serving
popcorn and soda—this would be in
2003, when our first son was born. He’s
strapped into the BabyBjörn in front of
her. It was the opening weekend of The
Passion of the Christ, and it was crazy.
60 September 2022

When did you first begin to expand
into a circuit?
Jeff: The first Movie Tavern opened in
Fort Worth in 2001. We didn’t open our
second one, in Arlington, until 2002. The
first one wasn’t particularly successful,
so we held off signing that lease for a
bit. As you may recall, in 2001 the movie
business was in the crapper after 9/11.
Nobody was going out; we were all shellshocked.
We didn’t sign the lease on the
second one until May 2002, when the
first Spider-Man came out. That’s when
we said, “OK, the movie business is back.
Let’s go ahead and sign that lease on the
second Movie Tavern location.” We got it
open quick, in July of 2002.
After that we did another traditional
theater outside Austin, down in the hill
country, in Marble Falls, Texas. Then
we opened a third Movie Tavern, in
Bedford, in 2003.
Jamie: That Bedford location was
actually the movie theater where I had
my first job, back when it used to be a
General Cinema site.
Jeff: We had five theaters total at that
point. That’s when we partnered with
Lee Roy Mitchell, of Cinemark fame, and
formed Movie Tavern Partners. We moved
our offices back from Granbury, where
we’d started, to Dallas, with Lee Roy as
our 50 percent partner. He injected fresh
capital into the business, and we were off
and running, expanding the Movie Tavern
concept. We added 10 more theaters; I
believe we had 13 when we sold our share
to Lee Roy in 2008.
My parents were there helping; everybody
was serving popcorn because we had
crowds like crazy.
We learned from the ground up. We
knew the financial aspect of everything
but didn’t really know the operations of
how to run a theater. With Movie Tavern,
we certainly didn’t have a background
in food service. So we hired people and
cultivated the knowledge on the fly,
because dine-in wasn’t really established
in exhibition back then. To a small degree
there were the “brew-and-views,” mostly
second-run locations, but there weren’t
many of us doing first-run. Dine-in was in
its infancy back then.
Jamie: We were young, energetic, and
naive enough to always respond to
challenges with, “Hey, why not?”
“We learned from the ground
up. We knew the financial
aspect of everything but didn’t
really know the operations of
how to run a theater.”
It wasn’t much long after selling
your stake in Movie Tavern that you
decided to jump back into exhibition
by pioneering another new concept,
the family entertainment center (FEC)
through Cinergy. What made you
come back into the business?
Jamie: We were retired for about a
week before Jeff started getting restless.
Our first Cinergy location was never
intended to be an FEC. It was going to be
a traditional theater; we were going to go
back to our roots. We just found ourselves
with extra square footage in the building
we picked.
Jeff: The first Cinergy was actually a shell
building that had been built six years earlier
and never finished. When we laid in the
movie theater component, it left a couple of
big rooms off to the side of the lobby.
September 2022
61

CINÉSHOW VISIONARY AWARD
Jamie: Originally, we thought we would
just lease the space out, but this was 2008—
we were in the middle of a recession.
Jeff: We decided we needed to do
something with that extra space ourselves,
so I went to IAAPA’s (International
Association of Amusement Parks and
Attractions) annual convention in the fall
of 2008 to see what we could do. I came
back and said, “We’re going to do a game
room and laser tag.” That’s when I started
getting in touch with Neil Hupfauer, one
of the most accomplished executives in
the FEC sector, to help us launch this
concept. To some degree, it was dumb
luck that got us into the FEC business.
But as time went on, we figured out there
was some magic to putting all these
amusements under one roof.
When did that first Cinergy location
open?
Jeff: We opened the first Cinergy in June
of 2009 in Copperas Cove, Texas, near
Waco. It had a decent-sized game room
and a laser tag arena to go along with eight
cinema screens. We built a second location
in 2010 and sold it in 2014. The third one
we developed was in Midland, Texas, in
2013. It was similar to the first, with a
medium-size game room and laser tag.
The Midland location was when we
started putting more focus into the games.
Neil was having a bigger influence on us
and preaching the benefits of the FEC
business. Although we didn’t really know
at the time how it was going to mesh with
the movie theater business, they turned
“When you’re programming
a giant game room, with
food and beverage, a movie
theater, 16 to 18 lanes of
bowling, escape rooms, axe
throwing, and virtual reality—
the layout of the facility is
very important.”
out to be very complementary. We opened
Midland in 2013, and it was a smashing
success from the very first day.
Did your success with Cinergy’s
Midland location encourage you to
expand further?
Jeff: We opened Midland on a Friday, and
by Monday I had already started looking
for a location in Odessa, which is 15
minutes away. It took us about three years
to get that location open, but we went from
a 50,000-square-foot store in Midland to a
90,000-square-foot store in Odessa. In that
one we added bowling, doubled the size of
the game room to well up over 100 pieces,
and installed a big laser tag arena and a
ropes course with a zip line.
Jamie: That Odessa location was our first
true Texas-size site.
Jeff: We opened it in November 2016. It felt
like it was part of a progression. We started
in 2009, built one in 2010 that was similar
to the first, then went bigger in Midland
in 2013, and went even bigger in Odessa
in 2016. We were experimenting with the
concept and finding out what was working
best. But honestly, we didn’t perfect the
concept until we opened in Amarillo,
Texas. We opened a 90,000-square-foot
site there in 2018. That one received the
award for the best FEC from IAAPA.
Amarillo was where we discovered
that it’s all in the layout. When you’re
programming a giant game room, with
food and beverage, a movie theater, 16
to 18 lanes of bowling, escape rooms, axe
throwing, and virtual reality—the layout
of the facility is very important. It took us
nine years, from 2009 to 2018, to find the
right layout. As a result, there is a huge
difference in the performance of the game
room between our first FEC and the later
ones. When I say huge, I’m talking like 20
times difference in sales.
To a large degree, you’re building a
casino for families—with games and all
sorts of different attractions. You want to
put the big anchor attractions in the back,
and you have the impulse buys toward the
front. People-flow within these buildings
is very important, because you can have
six, seven thousand people a day come
through your doors on a busy Saturday.
It must have been so frustrating to
have perfected the concept and
received the award from IAAPA in
2018, only to close all your sites with
62 September 2022

the emergence of the pandemic
in 2020. Once you were allowed
to reopen, however, how much of
an advantage did you have, not
needing to rely on the movie theater
component to bring back patrons?
Jeff: There’s no other way to put it: It flatout
sucked. I will tell you, however, that
by March 2021, it was like a coming out
party across Texas. We did record sales in
the FEC in March and April of 2021. The
movies still weren’t clicking; the exhibition
side of our business was still hobbled in
2021, but the FEC was absolutely going
gangbusters. We did game room numbers
that we will never see again because all
those people that would have been going
to the movies were spending their entire
time bowling, playing games, and eating
and drinking. The FEC brought us back
much quicker than traditional or dinein
exhibitors, who were so reliant on
Hollywood releases.
When did the exhibition component
of your FECs start to rebound?
Jeff: Godzilla vs. Kong was the first big
release that really surprised us.
We hadn’t seen crowds like that for
a movie in a year. We were forced to do
“When there’s not a big
movie, people will do a lot of
the other things we offer. But
on the big movie weekends,
our locations are all about Top
Gun: Maverick or Lightyear.”
all these layoffs during the closures and
were slowly rebuilding our staff when
Godzilla vs. Kong came out and brough
back a huge audience. We had Tom and
Jerry come out shortly after. Those two
movies were the one-two punch that
convinced us we were going to have a
summer movie season in 2021.
I don’t want to short sell the theater
side of the equation within the Cinergy
concept. Our movie business is very
complementary to the FEC. When there’s
not a big movie, people will do a lot of
the other things we offer. But on the big
movie weekends, our locations are all
about Top Gun: Maverick or Lightyear.
We see that in our attendance. The
movies drive a lot of the people into
our buildings, and that’s how they get
exposed to everything else we offer.
Movies are the secret sauce of the
FEC business. Without them, you’re
offering the same thing week in and
week out. There’s no urgency to go,
no call to action. But when Top Gun:
Maverick or The Black Phone is available
on your screens, and people know it’s
only going to be there for a short number
of weeks, there’s a call to action to get to
the theater to see it.
September 2022
63

CINÉSHOW VISIONARY AWARD
What is the biggest difference
between operating an FEC and a
traditional movie theater?
Jeff: I would say the biggest thing I’ve
learned is that you better have a damn
good team and a lot of operational
knowledge.
Jamie: And a diverse range of knowledge,
too. We’ve got bowling people, games
people, food and beverage people, and
movie people. There are a lot of different
skill sets you need to balance.
Jeff: For us, it started with Neil Hupfauer.
He taught me a lot about running FECs
and wrote the playbook on the bowlinganchored
family entertainment center.
We took his knowledge and combined
it with our experience running Movie
Tavern—that’s how it took off. We have
a fantastic team, and that would be my
biggest takeaway from this experience:
You can’t do this by yourself. You need to
surround yourself with experts.
Jamie: As a result, we have a much higher
corporate count and overhead than a
theater chain of our size.
Jeff: Simply because there is a lot of
complexity to FECs that a plain movie
theater chain doesn’t have. We get a lot
of revenue from games, which are 100
percent margin, as opposed to splitting it
with the studios. It is a different business
model, one that requires you to have
experts in different areas to succeed.
The movie business is such a great
complement because you have a
consistent pipeline of fresh, new,
and appealing movies to draw
from. Managing an arcade space or
implementing a big attraction, like
laser tag or an escape room, it
must be very expensive to keep
them from growing stale.
Jeff: It’s a whole other challenge and it’s
expensive, because you have to switch up
the games frequently. There’s always one
game that earns really well, and a dozen
that hardly earn anything at all. Every
year, we swap out the bottom 10 or 15
percent of the games. We go to IAAPA’s
convention and drop $12,000 to $15,000,
on average, per game, to change out
those bottom 10 or 15 games.
What are some of the top games and
attractions at your FECs?
Jeff: We added axe throwing a week
before we got shut down for the pandemic,
back in 2020. It wasn’t as big as we had
hoped when we reopened, because people
didn’t want to touch the axes, but it’s
finally beginning to catch on now.
Recently we pulled out some of our
bowling lanes to make room for big
virtual reality (V.R.) pieces. I think V.R. is
going to be the next big thing. These freeroam
V.R. games are so much fun.
Now, I do wonder, somewhere down
the road, if movie theaters are going to
struggle when movies come out on V.R.
headsets. If that happens, we are going
to have to compete with that along with
streaming. I don’t know if or when that
“We have a fantastic
team, and that would be
my biggest takeaway from
this experience: You can’t
do this by yourself. You
need to surround yourself
with experts.”
64 September 2022

occurs—whether that’s five, 10, or 20
years down the road—but at some point,
people are going to be comfortable
with wearing a computer on their face.
If studios seize upon that and release
movies in V.R. headsets, then we’re
talking about a whole other level of
immersion, and I’m not sure how that
battle is going to go.
On our end, we’re putting in what
we call a V.R. universe in our latest
prototype at Cinergy. It is about a 4,000-
to 5,000-square-foot area in the back of
the game room with different V.R. pieces.
We’re going to be selling time slots by
the hour back there and turn V.R. into an
attraction like bowling, where you book
time by the hour.
To us, that’s the “premiumization” of
Cinergy. Our next step is to figure out what
our V.R. universe is, what the pieces are
going to be, and how to market and sell it.
The first one will open in our Greenville,
South Carolina project, which is probably
about 16 months away from opening.
“Everything we do, we look
at it through the lens of an
exhibitor. We try to be wellrounded
in promoting all
the different aspects of our
business. That’s part of the
reason why we brought in so
many other people into the
organization.”
As Cinergy’s FEC concept continues
to grow, how much of a role will
exhibition play in the expansion?
Jeff: To be honest, we’ve scaled back
the number of screens and the size of
our new complex in Greenville. It’s gone
from 90,000 square feet and 10 screens
to 70,000 square feet and seven screens.
That decision came down to our concern
about the number of releases from
Hollywood in the coming years, and as
a result we are slightly deemphasizing
the theater component in our latest
prototypes.
Despite that, everything we do, we
look at it through the lens of an exhibitor.
We try to be well-rounded in promoting
all the different aspects of our business.
That’s part of the reason why we brought
in so many other people into the
organization. To help cover up for the fact
that we’re always thinking of Cinergy as a
movie theater first.
Jamie: Exhibition is still at the heart of
everything we do.
September 2022
65

CINÉSHOW FRANK LIBERTO AWARD
PREMIERE CINEMAS:
FROM POPCORN TO
THE PIZZA PUB
CinéShow 2022 Frank Liberto Award: Interview with
Joel Davis, Chief Operating Officer, Premiere Cinemas
BY DANIEL LORIA
What started out as a part-time job
in high school turned into a fullfledged
career for Joel Davis. Premiere
Cinemas’ COO first joined the exhibition
industry as a teenager, leaving after
graduating college and coming back
again in 1998 as a general manager
of the chain’s Webster, Texas dollar
theater. It only took a year for Davis to
make his mark at the circuit, becoming
regional manager by 1999 and overseeing
operations at nine of Premiere’s locations.
By 2000, Davis took on an executive role
to oversee all of its 28 locations.
Since then, he has spent over two
decades helping Premiere establish itself
as a top U.S. moviegoing destination.
Davis, the recipient of CinéShow’s 2022
Frank Liberto Award, which recognizes
excellence among concessions and
purchasing professionals in exhibition,
spoke to Boxoffice Pro about his career
at the movies and how he’s helped lead
Premiere for nearly 25 years.
How did you end up having a career
in exhibition?
It was a part-time job, back in 1989. I
was in my senior year of high school, 17
years old, and I had always wanted to
work at the movies. That’s the dream
job when you’re in high school, when
your other choices are the grocery store
or mowing lawns. I had so many great
experiences working that first summer. I
was working at my family’s farm during
the day—hauling, cutting, and raking
hay. We had about 900 acres where we
grew potatoes and soybeans. It was hard
work! I would shower after a day working
at the farm and get ready for my second
job, my paying job, at the movies. I really
loved that job … it gave me a chance to
sit in the air-conditioning after spending
the day working outside in the Texas
heat. I worked at that theater all the way
through college.
After graduating college, I went to work
in juvenile probation—my degree is in
criminal justice—until some health issues
for one of my relatives brought me back
to work for one of my family’s companies.
I found myself working for my relative’s
dredging company. We built beaches in the
Caribbean. My wife and I actually relocated
to Ambergris Key [Belize], to the little town
of San Pedro, and lived on that island for
about a year and a half. We lived on an
island 36 miles offshore. The only way to
66
September 2022

get there was by boat or by Cessna. It didn’t
take long for my wife to get island fever.
Around that time, I reconnected with
some folks at that theater I worked at
through college, let them know I was
looking to change careers, and they
set me up with Gary Moore, owner of
Premiere Cinemas, who was looking for
a G.M. at the time.
I love how that first job experience
working part-time in a movie theater
in high school ended up resonating
so much in your career. What was
your first impression of Gary Moore
at Premiere?
We hit it off right away. I started as a
G.M. for Premiere in 1998 at a sub-run
location—the fourth-largest dollar cinema
in the state of Texas. Everything was done
by hand back then, from the box office to
the concession stand and everything in
between. I remember putting together the
programs. About three days in, Gary takes
me out to lunch and tells me, “In a year’s
time, you’ll be running this place—you’re
going to be our regional director.” By that
time next year, I was managing multiple
properties. I was taking everything I had
done at that sub-run and implementing
it at Premiere’s first-runs across Texas.
The company continued to grow until
one day, during a meeting with a banker,
Gary looked over at me and introduced
me as his vice president.
What were some of the lessons
you took from those early days at
Premiere in the late ‘90s?
I was in charge of the fourth-largest
dollar theater in Texas back then. It was
a sub-run, so we’d get prints well after
they had opened. I remember getting two
35 mm prints of Titanic and selling out
those auditoriums on a daily basis. At a
dollar theater, our biggest priority was
to provide the same level of experience
as a first-run. I had one big rule at that
location: It didn’t matter if it was the
first or last show, the theater had to be
perfectly clean throughout the entire day.
Our theater, for a dollar or a dollar and a
half, was classier than the two first-run
theaters we were competing against. We
had a really good management staff that
I assembled; we really dug down in the
trenches and did everything we could to
satisfy the customer. That’s what made
the difference.
The concessions business has been
one of the most significant evolutions
in exhibition since you began working
in the industry.
I love concessions; it’s probably my
favorite part of the business. At Premiere,
there have been times when we’ve gone
out on a limb and tried some things to see
if they work. Sometimes they don’t. You
don’t know until you try it. The standard
to measure success in the concessions
business would be your per capita sales.
Looking at that, a lot of it comes down to
design. Gary Moore is a trailblazer in our
industry when it comes to design. He has
the ability to sit down with an architect
and draw out a whole set of plans. He also
knows when to turn things over to the
people in operations that understand how
things work on a day-to-day basis. It has
been great for me to be able to sit down
next to him and go over design ideas to
make sure we have a layout that works.
At some of our locations, we’ve
installed fast-food-style concession
stands, where you order by number, kind
of like at a McDonald’s. We designed
our concessions menu around that idea,
making it easy on the eyes. It’s easy for the
consumer to order and super-easy for the
staff, who have those combos memorized.
We always look at how to improve
things at the concession stand. We
redesigned our candy cases so we could
display our products to the customer and
fulfill their orders as quickly as possible.
We had a big success when we changed
up our warmers. I called Gold Medal
Products to get new popcorn warmers
“We always look at how
to improve things at the
concession stand. We
redesigned our candy cases so
we could display our products
to the customer and fulfill their
orders as quickly as possible.”
September 2022
67

CINÉSHOW FRANK LIBERTO AWARD
we could stick in front of our concession
stands, so customers could see the fresh
popcorn right in front of them when they
line up to order. We did the same with our
nachos, making sure our customers could
see them. Our per caps went up so high
after we did that.
How have you been able to keep pace
with changes in consumer behavior at
the concession stand over the years?
At Premiere, there have been times when
we’ve gone out on a limb and tried some
things just to see if they work. Sometimes
they don’t; you don’t know until you try it.
Self-serve candy stations are one of those
things that I never thought would work.
Just having candy sit there so customers
can grab it and walk away with it? No way
“Today, if you go to a Premiere
location, we have self-serve
candy and soda, and we’ve
just begun implementing selfserve
popcorn. Customers love
that concept; it makes them
feel like they’re at a buffet
with our concessions.”
that’s going to work. We like to innovate,
so we tried it at one location, and we
doubled our candy sales in one weekend.
So all those candy cases we designed?
They go by the wayside, and we pivot to
self-serve candy. When you look at the
data, self-serve concessions make a lot
of sense. Today, if you go to a Premiere
location, we have self-serve candy and
soda, and we’ve just begun implementing
self-serve popcorn. Customers love that
concept; it makes them feel like they’re at
a buffet with our concessions. When done
right, self-serve gives your guests the
perception that they’re getting more value
for their money.
We let our per caps guide the direction
we take when it comes to concessions.
That’s how we’ve moved toward the selfserve
concept. I was surprised to find
how labor intensive self-serve stations
are. You would think you need fewer
personnel if the customers are serving
themselves, but it actually requires you
to have enough personnel to make sure
the self-serve areas are clean and well
maintained. If you take your eyes off
it, it’s going to be a mess and it won’t be
appealing to the customer.
The next big evolution for Premiere
on the F&B side was incorporating
enhanced menus. Today, you’re known
for your Pizza Pub concept. How did
you develop and launch that idea?
You look at the state of Texas, and we
have so many industry colleagues that
have done such a great job in the dinein
space. You have specialized circuits
like Alamo Drafthouse and Studio Movie
Grill and family entertainment centers
like Cinergy—from the same team
that founded Movie Tavern—that have
perfected the concept over the years. We
came to it as a traditional movie theater,
really admiring what our colleagues here
in Texas had done and looking to add that
F&B dimension.
We started with our location in Bryan,
Texas—right by College Station, a college
town, home to Texas A&M. We built
a stand-alone restaurant there, and I
brought in a chef to put together all the
recipes. I’m a concessions guy, so I needed
to be brought up to speed on how an
expanded F&B business would work at
our cinemas. That location was our first
with an alcohol license, so we brought in
beer and wine. We didn’t call it a Pizza
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September 2022

“Our F&B director, Jimmy
Levinson, who specializes in
Italian food, designed the
menu. The whole concept just
clicked for us. It was a perfect
combination: beer and pizza.”
Pub at the time; we referred to it as our
Bistro, and we learned a lot about the F&B
business through that experience.
The next phase was in a new location
we opened in Lubbock, Texas. That
site turned out to be one of the biggest
learning experiences we’ve had. We
employed three F&B managers at
that location, two of them chefs with
credentials from Texas Tech. It turned out
to be a really good experiment. We kept
learning a little bit more and more about
how to refine the concept.
The next evolution came when we took
over a former United Artists location in
Grand Prairie, Texas, that had been sitting
vacant for about three years. It wasn’t a
big site; we had to figure out how to fit
10 screens in what should have been a
65,000-square-foot building into 40,000
square feet. We did a full remodel, adding
a Pizza Pub and a bar.
We built that bar from scratch and
designed it with a draft beer system
with 10 different beers on tap. Instead of
tucking the bar away in the back, as we
had done in other locations, we stuck it
right out in the front. That changed the
dynamic completely for us. It was a whole
different experience as soon as guests
came in through our doors. Right past the
bar, we added a pizza kitchen, so all of a
sudden we had this great energy of a bar
and restaurant as the focal point of our
lobby. Our F&B director, Jimmy Levinson,
who specializes in Italian food, designed
the menu. The whole concept just clicked
for us. It was a perfect combination: beer
and pizza.
Would you consider that to be the
biggest evolution on the F&B side for
Premiere?
That was definitely the biggest evolution,
finding an F&B concept that worked for
us. So we sat down with our operations
team and CEO and decided that the Pizza
Pub was the way to go for our circuit. Our
Pizza Pubs have connected so well with
audiences, and we’re not looking back.
Dine-in is so competitive in Texas, and
in order to add expanded menus in your
circuit, you really need to find a concept,
perfect it, and make it your own.
Innovating, pivoting, launching
new concepts—like anything else, it just
comes down to learning better ways of
doing things the more you do them.
That’s how we’ve been able to grow as a
circuit, by asking the right questions and
getting better at putting things together
over time.
September 2022
69

CINÉSHOW LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
THE CAREER
OF A LIFETIME
CinéShow Honors NATO’s
Belinda Judson with Lifetime
Achievement Award
BY REBECCA PAHLE
“I’m just really proud of all of
the regional leaders. They do
so much work. A lot of them
are volunteers; they’re not
paid staff. It’s a lot of work.”
Over the last few years, movie theater
operators have worked perhaps
more closely than ever with the team at
NATO, struggling through a morass of
Covid-related regulations while trying to
secure government assistance and keep
movie theaters (responsibly) open. One
of NATO’s number, Belinda Judson, is
getting some well-deserved recognition of
her support of the industry at CinéShow,
where she’s set to be honored with the
Lifetime Achievement Award.
As NATO’s regional leader, for decades
Judson has racked up airline points
and miles on the odometer working
with NATO’s regional chapters. It was
Judson, as an ex–movie theater owner
and one-time executive director of
NATO of Ohio, who helped form NATO’s
regional chapters as we know them today,
transforming a collection of individual
state chapters into larger groups able to
better deal with the challenges that came
their way.
Now living in Portugal, Judson spoke
with Boxoffice Pro about how she
became a part of the cinema industry “not
really intentionally”—only to find that
“it’s an industry that gets in your blood.”
How did you come to work with NATO?
Actually, my husband and I owned a
couple of twin theaters in Columbus.
That’s how we got into this crazy business.
It was at a time just before multiplexes
really took hold. At that point, it [became]
much harder to make a living with small
theaters. So we got out of the theater
business. But I stayed connected, because
I had been very active in NATO of Ohio
when we owned our theaters. When
we sold the theaters, I went to work for
NATO of Ohio as their executive director.
That kept me in a business that I was
very passionate about. It seemed a good
fit, and then it all just kind of rolled
from there.
I was lucky enough to have a lot of
people that helped along the way, but one
in particular, Mary Ann Grasso Anderson
[NATO’s former vice president and
executive director], was such a mentor to
me. I was very, very lucky to have her in
my life. [It was] definitely at a time when
there weren’t too many females in a lot of
positions in this industry. Her friendship
and her mentorship meant everything to
me, not just then but now. I look back on
it, and I realize that I [was given] a gift.
Mary Ann … pushed me to do things
that I never thought I could do and put
me in front of the right people. [She]
definitely shaped my career. I have so
many friends in the industry; I could
go on and on about the people that are
important to me. It’s an industry that is
that way.
What led you to be interested in
owning two theaters in the first place?
I didn’t get into the business intentionally.
My husband’s an accountant, and one of
his clients was trying to buy the theaters.
[My husband] was trying to help him put
the package together, and then instead we
ended up signing up for them. We ended
up with two theaters, not really knowing
much about the business. Again, [I was]
lucky to have people in the industry, in
Columbus, who helped us. It was an
atmosphere where everybody in the
business helped each other. I’m blessed to
have had that help when we first started
with the theaters.
When you and your husband decided
to buy the theaters, did you ever
imagine a career in exhibition?
We thought, well, maybe we can buy them
and [the client] can run them and buy
us out, because he wasn’t able to make
the deal work with the bank. [We had]
no intention of having them for a long
period or getting into the business. [But]
it’s an industry that gets in your blood. So
I was ready to stay with the industry. At
the time, I served as the [NATO of Ohio]
executive director, and then later on it
started snowballing. Along the way, I
did things like help put regions together
that would make it easier for our regional
people or independents to get educated
together and help each other. That’s how
I came to be the regional leader. It just
kind of snowballed from what I was doing
in Ohio.
Can you describe those early days
of helping to form those regional
groups?
It put me with our exhibitors, and
that’s what I loved the most: being with
them and trying to help them. It was a
good marriage, so to speak. Because I
had walked the walk. I had credibility
with them. At that time, there were
no regionals. They were just state
associations. At a certain point, a lot
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September 2022

of those states weren’t particularly active
on the regional level. What happened was,
we started to see legislative issues become
more state and local, versus federal. It
became crucial to have some active
associations throughout the country.
[I’m proud of] getting the regionals up
and running. In certain instances, I feel
like I gave birth to them! [Laughs.] It
was lovely. They would all welcome me
at their conventions. They got used to
me being there at their meetings, and
then they wanted me to come even after
we had regionalized most of the states
throughout the country. I was very
pleased and happy. … So that became
what I did for NATO.
Your travel schedule must have
been insane.
I was out on the road a lot. [Laughs.]
You know how many conventions for
NATO there are, [plus] regular board
meetings for NATO? There was a lot of
work out on the road. I loved it, because
I was helping [people].
My husband loves to go to the movies.
He was very supportive of all the work
I’ve done. I’ve been living a blessed life,
because he’s been very supportive of all
I’ve wanted to do. He was the one that
stayed home and I [was] traveling all
over the place.
It’s great that the regional
conventions are back. CinemaCon is
just so hectic.
I’m just really proud of all of the regional
leaders. They do so much work. A lot of
them are volunteers; they’re not paid staff.
It’s a lot of work. I’m really, really proud
of them and what they do. I don’t think
people realize how much they do for them.
They do it because they love the industry.
They love what they do. They work hard
in their theaters and work hard for the
association to make it healthy. There’s so
much going on legislatively. It’s a tough
road sometimes, when you feel like you
have the [weight of the] world on your
back. And that if you don’t succeed,
it’s going to hurt the entire industry.
So that’s kind of a—yipes!
For example, with the pandemic,
after the theaters were shut down, it was
the regional guys that had to do the heavy
lifting as far as lobbying governors to
let us reopen the theaters. You would go
to bed every night thinking, “I have to
get this and this and this.” It’s very, very
stressful.
Everybody helped each other,
which was great. We’re calling each other:
“What happened today? How many do
we have open now?” They’re quite lovely.
If they have a certain issue that they’ve
dealt with, and talking points, everybody
shares that.
Do you remember the first movie you
saw in a theater?
The first movie I remember seeing was
Song of the South. I remember standing
up on a chair in the back of the theater,
watching it with my aunt and uncle.
Wow! Disney’s made it really hard to
watch that movie nowadays.
I think Bambi was the second. My
grandfather always gave us a dollar when
he came to see us, and my brother and I
always saved it so we could go see a movie.
From right away, that was an important
thing in our lives, the movie theater.
My mother’s cousin owned a drive-in
theater, too, and my mom worked there.
We would always go out in our pajamas
and see my mom at the drive-in. I was so
nosy. They figured, “We’ll take the kids,
and they’ll fall asleep so we can watch the
movie.” But I wasn’t going to sleep!
What do you like to get at the
concession stand?
When I was little, it was always Junior
Mints. Now if I get something, it’s usually
popcorn. I never ate candy. My mom had
sugar diabetes. We never had sweets at
home. So we didn’t tend to eat candy,
either. But I always had to have Junior
Mints. That’s the only time I ate them,
when I went to the movies. To me, those
are married together.
Can you talk a bit about the work
you’ve done with Variety – the
Children’s Charity?
I worked a lot with Will Rogers people,
too, me and NATO. [They] have a lot
of meaning to me. The kids and the
babies—being able to do some small
part in helping them has been just
wonderful, because these kids are
amazing. The little babies, they fight for
their lives. The kids with disabilities go
around with the biggest smiles on their
faces all the time. That’s amazing. It’s
brought a lot of joy to my life.
“From her earlier days as an
exhibitor in Ohio to managing
regional NATO groups and
lobbying to her election to a
seat on the NATO Executive
Board to her many friends
in the industry who love her
dearly, Belinda’s leadership
has provided great benefit
to theater operators across
the country. Belinda richly
deserves this award.”
John Fithian,
President & CEO, NATO
“This is truly a special
moment for CinéShow to
recognize Belinda’s dedication
to exhibitors across the
country. Belinda is a true icon
in this industry and has been
a great friend and mentor
to me throughout our time
working together.”
Todd Halstead,
Director of Government Relations
and Strategy, NATO
September 2022
71

CINÉSHOW TEXAN OF THE YEAR
A COMMITMENT
TO CHARITY
Cinemark’s Don Harton is Variety of Texas’s
2022 Texan of the Year
BY REBECCA PAHLE
everyone. And then, Don does the work
to make things happen!”
You’ve been with Cinemark for quite
some time. How did you come to work
with them?
I started working on Cinemark projects in
1986. I was actually an outside architect
working as a consultant to Cinemark from
1986 until 1996. At that time, Cinemark
asked me to come inside and work for
them directly. So from ’96 until now, I
have worked inside the company.
2022 marks 10 years of collaboration
between CinéShow and Variety
of Texas, which since 1935 (under the
name Variety Club of Dallas) has brought
together Texas’s vibrant cinema industry
in support of at-need children and their
families. It is fitting, then, that this year’s
Texan of the Year Award—presented
at a gala dinner on the Wednesday of
CinéShow—would go to someone who’s
put so much time and effort into Variety
of Texas’s flagship project, Peaceable
Kingdom.
Located in Killeen, Texas, one hour
north of Austin, Peaceable Kingdom
is a 122-acre summer camp and retreat
designed to accommodate children of
all mobility levels. And without Don
Harton, Cinemark EVP of design and
construction, it would look much
different than it does today. In 2021,
Harton led Variety of Texas in
repairing damage done to Peaceable
Kingdom’s Theatre in the Woods
cinema and arcade by the devastating
wave of winter weather that hit
Texas earlier that year. Since then,
he spearheaded the construction of
Peaceable Kingdom’s Fort Walter and
helped coordinate projects taken on
by a group of Cinemark volunteers.
“Don doesn’t treat us like a charity,”
says Stacy Bruce, executive director and
president of Variety of Texas. “Instead,
he recognizes the impact we make on
real kids’ lives. He genuinely wants to
serve the community and help make
Peaceable Kingdom a better place for
If a company is keeping employees
that long, it’s doing something right.
What is it that makes Cinemark
special?
It has always been a culture of family.
It’s a nurturing culture. [Cinemark
founder] Lee Roy Mitchell built a
company that is focused on helping
people grow and learn to do a job well.
He always encouraged you to find the
things that you’re particularly good at
and really drive in on those areas. He’s
built a flexible company, and he’s built a
company that focuses on growth—both
of the company, certainly, and also
growth of the people. And the company
has grown enormously.
Are you from Texas originally?
I was born in Texas. Spent a part of my
youth in Florida. My father was part of
the NASA mission to put people on
the moon. He worked for a couple
of contractors, one in Florida—Cape
Kennedy—and then one in the Houston
area, at the NASA center near Clear Lake.
Then I went to school at Texas A&M for
undergraduate, and graduate school
at University of Oregon. After leaving
Oregon, we came back to Dallas. I’ve lived
in this area since then.
A lot of people in the cinema industry
have been in it, in some capacity,
since they were children—but it
wasn’t a field you were initially
interested in. Did you like going to
the movies growing up?
I have always loved movies. My
introduction to theaters was mostly
that I really enjoyed the design of
spaces where people assemble. I always
thought I would grow up and design
churches, but I grew up and designed
movie theaters!
72
September 2022

There are fewer and fewer spaces for
communal assembly. What draws you
to them?
I like the idea of people coming together
and focusing on something that’s
happening together, enjoying that
community. People living in communities
—that’s what we’re made to do!
Do you remember the first movie
you saw in a theater?
I think it was Old Yeller.
Oh, man. That’s a heavy one.
Yes. The Sound of Music was another
movie that resonated with me from my
childhood.
And what are you getting when you
go to the concession stand?
We typically get kettle corn and water.
I like the bottled water because I can screw
the cap back on and just drink what I want.
Sometimes I’ll get an Icee—the Coke and
the blue mixed together. I like Junior
Mints. Sometimes, if I’m getting popcorn,
I like to get M&Ms to mix in with it.
Premium formats are a hot topic
of discussion now, with things like
PLF screens and motion seating
being so instrumental in getting
moviegoers back to the cinema.
Of course, that relates to the design
of the theater. What is it like being
on the construction side of the
cinema industry in 2022?
It’s always been really fascinating to
think about what people will experience
and then to follow that process all the
way through, and to then actually go
into a space that you’ve been a part of
developing. That’s a really fulfilling
thing. Right now, as we’re thinking about
theaters, we’re thinking about how to
maintain the wow. Our company was
[an early] leader in PLF, with our XD
[proprietary large-format] design and our
next-gen, wall-to-wall screen design.
We’ve always tried to bring wow. We
keep thinking: What are those things
that are going to make a real premium
experience for our guests? And now we’re
really thinking, what other things can we
do on the way into the auditorium that
can deliver that premium experience?
What can we do at the concession stand?
Should it still be a concession stand, or
should there be some other ways that
our guests can interact and experience
the thrill of going to the movies from the
moment they arrive at the theater, and
then the buildup to the big screen as
they go into the [auditorium]? We’re also
in the era of family entertainment. What
other things can we offer our guests if
they’re waiting for their movie to start, or
after the movie? Is it bowling? Is it laser
tag? We’re making gaming a bigger part
of [our business]. What are those kinds of
things that might be appropriate to offer?
And all these things can have
different space requirements.
Right. There’s much more flexibility in
an [arcade] gaming complex. Obviously,
bowling is fixed, but the arcade area has
a great deal more flexibility, because the
games are different sizes, and they come
and go. Whereas [with] auditoriums, there
are certain things that you [have to] put in
there. They’re very fixed and rigid, because
they have to be. And then, obviously, food
service. What kind of additional food
can you offer? Pizzas, hamburgers, fries?
Right-sizing the kitchen so you’re not too
big, but you’re big enough to have the
flexibility you’ll need for different menu
offerings through the years.
Cinemark has also been at the
forefront as far as sustainability is
concerned. You introduced solar
panels to some of your theaters
decades ago.
[Cinemark Vice President of Energy and
Sustainability] Art Justice, our “energy
czar,” has been leading that effort. I love
the fact that we are active, and we are
certainly finding ways to introduce other
features. Many years ago, we did our first
LEED project, and we were even able to
introduce a deal [whereby] rainwater is
reused in the building. We had to think
through the filtration process of how we
do that. We always make the provision
for solar panels so that when it’s
appropriate in that particular location,
we can add solar panels to the building.
We have lots of buildings around the
country with solar panels. Charging
stations in our parking lot, so people that
come with electric cars can charge their
vehicles. That’s definitely a feature that
I am happy to be a part of, and I’m really
thrilled that Art has brought so many
good vendor partners to us so that we
can do those together.
“We’ve always tried to bring
wow. We keep thinking: What
are those things that are
going to make a real premium
experience for our guests?”
September 2022
73

CINÉSHOW TEXAN OF THE YEAR
“Don just gets us. He
understands our needs, and
he’s invested in assuring we
achieve success by maximizing
our biggest asset: Peaceable
Kingdom by Variety.”
Stacy Bruce, Executive Director
& President of Variety of Texas
What sort of work have you done
with Variety of Texas?
It has been really exciting to be involved
in the Peaceable Kingdom projects.
We’ve done a couple of things there,
really led by [former CEO] Mark Zoradi.
We had worked with Peaceable Kingdom
before that, but Mark elevated that at
the corporate level, to where a big group
could get involved. We worked on their
basketball court, and we worked on their
pool area. The next year we worked on the
playground, and then over the last year
and a half we’ve worked on Fort Walter,
celebrating [retired Cinemark EVP of
purchasing] Walter Hebert, and then
also making a special treehouse. It’s got
a great view out over Texas. Just a
beautiful place to sit and contemplate.
I am also involved in [various
community initiatives], largely through
my church. We partner with a community
in South Dallas that has a lot of homeless
people, and so we go down sometimes
on Sunday mornings and help make
breakfast for the homeless population
there. We do some projects around the
community at people’s houses, where
they’re not able to sort of take care of
their property, and we help out with that.
A variety of little things like that.
You mentioned that Cinemark’s work
with Peaceable Kingdom really revved
up under Mark Zoradi—when was that?
The first project that we ever did at
Peaceable Kingdom was a movie theater,
that one that Lee Roy pointed us to. It was
maybe in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
Mark was looking around for something
that the company could do together; I
think our first trip there was in 2018. We
went in 2018, and then in 2019, and then
through the pandemic we’ve done a
couple of other small things.
During your time at Cinemark, and
the work that you’ve done in the
Dallas community, what do you look
back on that you’re most proud of?
One of the things that Lee Roy introduced
us to was a Holocaust museum that was
being planned in Dallas [the Dallas Holocaust
and Human Rights Museum]. Lee
Roy, through a variety of different connections,
became aware of it and started
talking to the organization that was
planning to build the museum and said,
“Hey, we really think you need to have an
auditorium here.” We got involved in the
planning for that and were able to spearhead
and participate in the development
of that auditorium. It was a very fulfilling
opportunity to be a part of. I wasn’t the
architect of record by any means, but I
gave the architects input and insight into
how to develop that auditorium.
Not a bad legacy.
It’s being in the right place at the right
time and being given the opportunities.
And then, wow, the realization that
this was an opportunity that was well
worth it.
74
September 2022

Sept 2022
75

Event Cinema Calender 78 | Booking Guide 80
ON SCREEN
A look at upcoming releases heading to theaters
Booking Guide, p. 80
September 2022
77

On Screen EVENT CINEMA CALENDER
EVENT CINEMA
CALENDAR
Updated through July 29, 2022.
Contact distributors for latest listings.
BY EXPERIENCE
byexperience.net
GREAT ART ON SCREEN:
TUTANKHAMUN: THE LAST
EXHIBITION
Now through Sept. 10
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN: POMPEII:
SIN CITY
Now through Oct. 7
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN: BOTTICELLI:
FLORENCE AND THE MEDICI
Now through Nov. 12
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN: VENICE:
INFINITELY AVANT-GARDE
Now through Dec. 2
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN:
MAVERICK MODIGLIANI
Now through Dec. 31
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN:
NAPOLEON: IN THE NAME OF ART
Now through Dec. 31
Genre: Art
GREAT ART ON SCREEN: RAPHAEL:
THE YOUNG PRODIGY
Now through Dec. 31
Genre: Art
The Met: Live in HD – Falstaff
CINELIFE ENTERTAINMENT
cinelifeentertainment.com
THE RETALIATORS
From Sept. 14
Genre: Horror
HALLOWEEN
From Sept. 1
Genre: Classics
FATHOM EVENTS
fathomevents.com
855-473-4612
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD PRESENTS:
THE WAY
Sept. 1
Genre: Inspiration
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: STAR
TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
(40TH ANNIV.)
Sept. 4, Sept. 5, Sept. 8
Genre: Classics
AFTER EVER HAPPY
Sept. 7, Sept. 8
Genre: Premiere
LIFEMARK
Sept. 9-15
Genre: Inspiration
CLERKS III
Sept. 13, Sept. 15
Genre: Premiere
JEEPERS CREEPERS REBORN
Sept. 19-21
Genre: Horror
STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022:
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE
Sept. 25, Sept. 26, Sept. 28
Genre: Anime
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS:
POLTERGEIST (40TH ANNIV.)
Sept. 25, Sept. 26, Sept. 28
Genre: Classics
JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION
OF AN AMERICAN ICON
Oct. 11-13
Genre: Music
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: IN THE
HEAT OF THE NIGHT (55TH ANNIV.)
Oct. 16, Oct. 19
Genre: Classics
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - MEDEA
Oct. 22, Oct. 26
Genre: Opera
STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022:
SPIRITED AWAY
Oct. 30, Nov. 1, Nov. 2
Genre: Anime
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - LA TRAVIATA
Nov. 5, Nov. 9
Genre: Opera
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: TO KILL
A MOCKINGBIRD (60TH ANNIV.)
Nov. 13, Nov. 16
Genre: Classics
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - THE MAGIC
FLUTE
Dec. 3
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - THE HOURS
Dec. 10, Dec. 14
Genre: Opera
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS:
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Dec. 18, Dec. 21
Genre: Classics
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - FEDORA
Jan. 14, Jan. 18
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - LOHENGRIN
Mar. 18, Mar. 22
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - FALSTAFF
Apr. 1, Apr. 5
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DER
ROSENKAVALIER
Apr. 15, Apr. 19
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - CHAMPION
Apr. 29, May 3
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DON
GIOVANNI
May 20, May 24
Genre: Opera
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DIE
ZAUBERFLÖTE
Jun. 3, Jun. 7
Genre: Opera
TRAFALGAR RELEASING
trafalgar-releasing.com
GLYNDEBOURNE: LA BOHÈME
Sept. 11
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Sept. 27
Genre: Opera
RSC: RICHARD III
Sept. 28
Genre: Drama
78 September 2022

THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
MAYERLING
Oct. 5
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | THE HOURS
Dec. 10
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
AIDA
Oct. 12
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | LOHENGRIN
Jan. 14
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
LA BOHÈME
Oct. 20
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
Jan. 19
Genre: Opera
The Met: Live in HD - La Traviata
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | MEDEA
Oct. 22
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
Feb. 15
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
CINDERELLA
Apr. 12
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | DON GIOVANNI
May 20
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | LA TRAVIATA
Nov. 5
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | LOHENGRIN
Mar. 18
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | DER ROSENKAVALIER
Apr. 15
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
May 24
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
THE ROYAL BALLET: A DIAMOND
CELEBRATION
Nov. 16
Genre: Ballet
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
THE NUTCRACKER
Dec. 8
Genre: Ballet
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
TURANDOT
Mar. 22
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | FALSTAFF
Apr. 1
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
Apr. 27
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | CHAMPION
Apr. 29
Genre: Opera
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE
IN HD 22-23 | DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Jun. 3
Genre: Opera
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 |
IL TROVATORE
Jun. 13
Genre: Opera
THE
COMPANY
September 2022
79

On Screen BOOKING GUIDE
BOOKING
GUIDE
Release calendar for theatrical
distribution in North America
Release dates are updated through July 28, 2022.
Please consult distributors to confirm latest listings.
20TH CENTURY STUDIOS
310-369-1000
212-556-2400
BARBARIAN
Fri, 9/9/22 WIDE
Stars: Georgina Campbell,
Bill Skarsgård
Director: Zach Cregger
Rating: R
Genre: Hor/Thr
BRAHMASTRA PART 1: SHIVA
Fri, 9/9/22 LTD
Stars: Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv
AVATAR
Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE
Stars: Zoe Saldana,
Sam Worthington
Director: James Cameron
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Act/Fan/SF
AMSTERDAM
Fri, 11/4/22 WIDE
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Christian Bale
Director: David O. Russell
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Fri, 12/16/22 WIDE
Stars: Zoe Saldana,
Sam Worthington
Director: James Cameron
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Fan/SF
Specs: 3D, Imax, Dolby
UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2022
Fri, 9/15/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
TRUE LOVE
Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE
Stars: Gemma Chan, Allison Janney
Director: Gareth Edwards
Rating: NR
Genre: Rom/SF/Dra
Barbarian
Fri, 9/9/22 Wide
UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2024 1
Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2024 2
Fri, 7/5/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
AVATAR 3
Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE
Director: James Cameron
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Fan/SF
A24
646-568-6015
FUNNY PAGES
Fri, 8/26/22 WIDE
Stars: Daniel Zolghadri,
Matthew Maher
Director: Owen Kline
Rating: R
Genre: Com
PEARL
Fri, 9/16/22 LTD
Stars: Mia Goth, David Corenswet
Director: Ti West
Rating: R
Genre: Hor
AMAZON STUDIOS
CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY
Fri, 9/23/22 LTD
Stars: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper
Director: Lena Dunham
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Act
MY POLICEMAN
Fri, 10/21/22 LTD
Stars: Harry Styles, Emma Corrin
Director: Michael Grandage
Rating: R
Genre: Rom/Dra
GOOD NIGHT OPPY
Fri, 11/4/22 LTD
Director: Ryan White
Rating: PG
Genre: Doc
BLEECKER STREET
BREAKING
Fri, 8/26/22 LTD
Stars: John Boyega,
Michael Kenneth Williams
Director: Abi Damaris Corbin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Dra/Thr
BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT
William Gruenberg:
william@bluefoxentertainment.com
JANE
Fri, 8/26/22 LTD
Stars: Madelaine Petsch,
Chlöe Bailey
Director: Sabrina Jaglom
Rating: R
Genre: Thr
WAITING FOR BOJANGLES
Fri, 9/2/22 LTD
Stars: Romain Duris, Virginie Efira
Director: Régis Roinsard
Rating: NR
Genre: Rom
80
September 2022

DISNEY
818-560-1000
Ask for Distribution
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA
FOREVER
Fri, 11/11/22 WIDE
Stars: Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta
Director: Ryan Coogler
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF/Fan
Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos
STRANGE WORLD
Wed, 11/23/22 WIDE
Director: Don Hall
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP:
QUANTUMANIA
Fri, 2/17/23 WIDE
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly
Director: Peyton Reed
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF
HAUNTED MANSION
Fri, 3/10/23 WIDE
Director: Justin Simien
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
Fri, 5/5/23 WIDE
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
Director: James Gunn
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
THE LITTLE MERMAID
Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE
Stars: Halle Bailey
Director: Rob Marshall
Rating: NR
Genre: Fan
Rating: NR
ELEMENTAL
Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE
Director: Peter Sohn
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED INDIANA JONES
Fri, 6/30/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv
THE MARVELS
Fri, 7/28/23 WIDE
Stars: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris
Director: Nia DaCosta
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF/Fan
UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION 2023
Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
BLADE
Fri, 11/3/23 WIDE
Stars: Mahershala Ali
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION 2023
Wed, 11/22/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
ROGUE SQUADRON
Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE
Director: Patty Jenkins
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF/Fan
UNTITLED MARVEL 2024
Fri, 2/16/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION 2024 1
Fri, 3/1/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION
2024 1
Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD
ORDER
Fri, 5/3/24 WIDE
Stars: Anthony Mackie
Director: Julius Onah
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION 2024 2
Fri, 6/14/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION
2024 2
Fri, 7/5/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
THUNDERBOLTS
Fri, 7/26/24 WIDE
Director: Jake Schreier
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
FANTASTIC FOUR
Fri, 11/8/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Fri, 11/11/22 Wide
September 2022
81

On Screen BOOKING GUIDE
FOCUS FEATURES
THE SILENT TWINS
Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE
Stars: Letitia Wright,
Tamara Lawrance
Director: Agnieszka Smoczyńska
Rating: R
Genre: Dra/Bio
TÁR
Fri, 10/7/22 WIDE
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss
Director: Todd Field
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Bio
ARMAGEDDON TIME
Fri, 10/28/22 LTD
Stars: Anthony Hopkins,
Jeremy Strong
Director: James Gray
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DIES
Fri, 12/2/22 LTD
Stars: Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge
Director: Michael Showalter
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
CHAMPIONS
Fri, 3/24/24 WIDE
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Rating: NR
Genre: Com
HIDDEN EMPIRE RELEASING
UNTITLED HIDDEN EMPIRE THRILLER
Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
IFC FILMS
bookings@ifcfilms.com
BURIAL
Fri, 9/2/22 LTD
Stars: Charlotte Vega, Tom Felton
Director: Ben Parker
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
SALOUM
Fri, 9/2/22 LTD
Stars: Yann Gael, Evelyne Ily Juhen
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
SPEAK NO EVIL
Fri, 9/9/22 LTD
Stars: Morten Burian,
Sidsel Siem Koch
Director: Christian Tafdrup
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
GOD’S COUNTRY
Fri, 9/16/22 LTD
Stars: Thandiwe Newton, Joris Jarsky
Director: Julian Higgins
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
VESPER
Fri, 9/30/22 LTD
Stars: Raffiella Chapman,
Eddie Marsan
Directors: Kristina Buozyte,
Bruno Samper
Rating: NR
Genre: SF
PRETTY PROBLEMS
Fri, 10/7/22 LTD
Stars: Britt Rentschler,
Michael Tennant
Director: Kestrin Pantera
Rating: NR
Genre: Com
LIONSGATE
310-309-8400
WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY
Fri, 10/14/22 WIDE
Stars: Bryce Gheisar, Ariella Glaser
Director: Marc Forster
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Fam
THE DEVIL’S LIGHT
Fri, 10/28/22 WIDE
Stars: Virginia Madsen, Ben Cross
Director: Daniel Stamm
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
JESUS REVOLUTION
Fri, 2/24/23 WIDE
Stars: Joel Courtney,
Anna Grace Barlow
Directors: Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Fam
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
Fri, 3/24/23 WIDE
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen
Director: Chad Stahelski
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME,
MARGARET
Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE
Stars: Rachel McAdams,
Abby Ryder Fortson
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Rating: NR
Genre: Fam
UNTITLED DIRTY DANCING SEQUEL
Fri, 2/9/24 WIDE
Stars: Jennifer Grey
Director: Jonathan Levine
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Rom
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
212-379-9704
Neal Block: nblock@magpictures.com
RIOTSVILLE, USA
Fri, 9/16/22 LTD
Director: Sierra Pettengill
Rating: NR
Genre: Doc
The Silent Twins
Fri, 9/16/22 Wide
PIGGY
Fri, 10/14/22 LTD
Stars: Laura Galán, Richard Holmes
Director: Carlota Pereda
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
NEON
hal@neonrated.com
MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Fri, 9/16/22 LTD
Director: Brett Morgen
Rating: NR
Genre: Doc
UNTITLED NEON FILM 1
Fri, 10/7/22 LTD
Rating: NR
UNTITLED NEON FILM 2
Fri, 11/23/22 LTD
Rating: NR
82
September 2022

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Fri, 3/3/23 Wide
PARAMOUNT
323-956-5000
SMILE
Fri, 9/30/22 WIDE
Director: Parker Finn
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
BABYLON
Fri, 12/23/22 WIDE
Director: Damien Chazelle
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
TITANIC 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Fri, 2/10/22 WIDE
Rating: NR
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS:
HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Fri, 3/3/23 WIDE
Stars: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein,
John Francis Daley
Rating: NR
Genre: Fan
UNTITLED SCREAM SEQUEL
Fri, 3/31/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE
BEASTS
Fri, 6/9/23 WIDE
Stars: Anthony Ramos,
Dominique Fishback
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD
RECKONING PART ONE
Fri, 7/14/23 WIDE
Stars: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Fri, 8/4/23 WIDE
Director: Jeff Rowe
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE
Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED STAR TREK
Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: SF/Act
UNTITLED BOB MARLEY
Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Bio
TIGER’S APPRENTICE
Fri, 1/19/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE
Fri, 3/8/24 WIDE
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
IF
Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE
Stars: John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds
Director: John Krasinski
Rating: NR
Genre: Com/Fan
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8
Fri, 6/28/24 WIDE
Stars: Tom Cruise
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
UNTITLED TRANSFORMERS
ANIMATION
Fri, 7/19/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED SMURFS ANIMATED
MUSICAL
Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani/Mus
ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
323-882-8490
GIGI & NATE
Fri, 9/2/22 LTD
Stars: Charlie Rowe,
Marcia Gay Harden
Director: Nick Hamm
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Dra
THE GOOD HOUSE
Fri, 9/30/22 WIDE
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline
Directors: Maya Forbes,
Wally Wolodarsky
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Rom
CALL JANE
Fri, 10/14/22 WIDE
Stars: Elizabeth Banks,
Sigourney Weaver
Director: Phyllis Nagy
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
September 2022
83

On Screen BOOKING GUIDE
SABAN FILMS
MANEATER
Fri, 8/26/22 LTD
Stars: Nicky Whelan, Trace Adkins
Director: Justin Lee
Rating: R
Genre: Thr C
HLIGHT PICTURES
SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
SEE HOW THEY RUN
Fri, 9/30/22 LTD
Stars: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Tom George
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor/Mys
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE
Stars: Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell
Director: Martin McDonagh
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
THE MENU
Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy,
Ralph Fiennes
Director: Mark Mylod
Rating: NR
Genre: Com/Hor
EMPIRE OF LIGHT
Fri, 12/9/22 LTD
SONY
212-833-8500
BULLET TRAIN
Fri, 8/5/22 WIDE
Stars: Brad Pitt, Joey King
Director: David Leitch
Rating: R
Genre: Act
Specs: Imax, Dolby Vis/Atmos
THE INVITATION
Fri, 8/26/22 WIDE
Stars: Nathalie Emmanuel,
Thomas Doherty
Director: Jessica M. Thompson
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor/Thr
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME –
THE MORE FUN STUFF VERSION
Fri, 9/2/22 WIDE
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya
Director: Tom Watts
Rating: PG-13
Genre: SF/Act
THE WOMAN KING
Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE
Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Rating: NR
Genre: His/Dra
LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE
Fri, 10/7/22 WIDE
Stars: Javier Bardem,
Winslow Fegley
Directors: Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Rating: NR
Genre: Fam
DEVOTION
Wed, 11/23/22 LTD
Stars: Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell
Director: J.D. Dillard
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Act/Dra
I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Wed, 12/21/22 WIDE
Stars: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Bio/Mus
A MAN CALLED OTTO
Wed, 12/14/22 WIDE
Stars: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño
Director: Marc Foster
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
KRAVEN THE HUNTER
Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson,
Russell Crowe
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/SF
Specs: Imax
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON
Fri, 1/27/23 WIDE
Stars: Zachary Levi,
Zooey Deschanel
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Rating: NR
Genre: Fam
IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME
Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE
Stars: Priyanka Chopra Jonas,
Sam Heughan
Director: Jim Strouse
Rating: NR
Genre: Mus/Rom
UNTITLED GEORGE FOREMAN
BIOPIC
Fri, 3/31/23 WIDE
Stars: Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/Bio
The Invitation
Fri, 8/26/22 WIDE
84
September 2022

BONES AND ALL
Fri, 11/23/22 WIDE
Stars: Timothée Chalamet,
Taylor Russell
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
WOMEN TALKING
Fri, 12/2/22 LTD
Stars: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy
Director: Sarah Polley
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
UNTITLED RUSSO BROTHERS
FAMILY FILM
Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Fam
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Fri, 8/31/22 Wide
CREED III
Fri, 3/3/23 WIDE
Stars: Michael B. Jordan,
Tessa Thompson
Director: Michael B. Jordan
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
THE POPE’S EXORCIST
Fri, 4/7/23 WIDE
Stars: Russell Crowe
Director: Julius Avery
Rating: NR
65
Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE
Stars: Adam Driver,
Ariana Greenblatt
Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Rating: NR
Genre: SF/Thr
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE
SPIDER-VERSE
Fri, 6/2/23 WIDE
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore
Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos,
Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
Specs: Imax
NO HARD FEELINGS
Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence
Directors: Gene Stupnitsky
Rating: NR
Genre: Com
INSIDIOUS 5
Fri, 7/7/23 WIDE
Directors: Patrick Wilson
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
GRAN TURISMO
Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
THE EQUALIZER 3
Fri, 9/1/23 WIDE
Stars: Denzel Washington,
Dakota Fanning
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Thr
Specs: Imax
MADAME WEB
Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE
Stars: Dakota Johnson
Director: S.J. Clarkson
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/Fan
GHOSTBUSTERS SEQUEL
Wed, 12/20/23 WIDE
Director: Jason Reitman
Rating: NR
EL MUERTO
Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE
Stars: Bad Bunny
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/Fan
Specs: Imax
SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE
SPIDER-VERSE
Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore
Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos,
Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
Specs: Imax
UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL UNIVERSE
Fri, 6/7/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/Fan
UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING
310-724-5678
Ask for Distribution
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF
LONGING
Fri, 8/31/22 WIDE
Stars: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton
Director: George Miller
Rating: R
Genre: Dra/Fan
ABOUT FATE
Fri, 9/9/22 LTD
Stars: Emma Roberts, Thomas Mann
Director: Marius Balchunas
Rating: NR
Genre: Rom/Com
TILL
Fri, 10/14/22 LTD
Stars: Danielle Deadwyler,
Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Rating: NR
Genre: His/Dra
A GOOD PERSON
Fri, 3/24/23 WIDE
Stars: Florence Pugh,
Morgan Freeman
Director: Zach Braff
Rating: R
Genre: Dra
ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Wed, 4/5/23 WIDE
Stars: Dennis Quaid,
Heather Graham
Director: Sean McNamara
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
CHALLENGERS
Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE
Stars: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
UNIVERSAL
818-777-1000
JAWS (IMAX RE-RELEASE)
Fri, 9/2/22 LTD
Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: PG
Genre: Adv/Thr
BROS
Fri, 9/30/22 WIDE
Stars: Billy Eichner
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Rating: R
Genre: Com/Rom
September 2022
85

On Screen BOOKING GUIDE
HALLOWEEN ENDS
Fri, 10/14/22 WIDE
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis,
Andi Matichak
Director: David Gordon Green
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
Specs: Imax/Dolby Vis/Atmos
TICKET TO PARADISE
Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE
Stars: George Clooney, Julia Roberts
Director: Ol Parker
Rating: NR
Genre: Rom/Com
THE FABELMANS
Fri, 11/11/22 LTD
Stars: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
SHE SAID
Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan
Director: Maria Schrader
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra
She Said
Fri, 11/18/22 Wide
VIOLENT NIGHT
Fri, 12/2/22 WIDE
Stars: David Harbour
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Rating: R
Genre: Act/Thr
PUSS AND BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
Fri, 12/21/22 WIDE
Stars: Antonio Banderas,
Salma Hayek Pinault
Director: Joel Crawford
Rating: PG
Genre: Ani
M3GAN
Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE
Stars: Allison Williams, Ronny Chieng
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor/Thr
DISTANT
Fri, 1/27/23 WIDE
Stars: Anthony Ramos,
Zachary Quinto
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Com/SF
Specs: Dolby Atmos
KNOCK AT THE CABIN
Fri, 2/3/23 WIDE
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: NR
Genre: Thr
COCAINE BEAR
Fri, 2/24/23 WIDE
Stars: Keri Russell, Margo Martindale
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Rating: NR
SUPER MARIO BROS.
Fri, 4/7/23 WIDE
Stars: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy
Directors: Aaron Horvath,
Michael Jelenic
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
RENFIELD
Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage
Director: Chris McKay
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor, Com
FAST X
Fri, 5/19/23 WIDE
Stars: Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron
Director: Louis Leterrier
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
STRAYS
Fri, 6/9/23 WIDE
Stars: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
OPPENHEIMER
Fri, 7/21/23 WIDE
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt
Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: NR
Genre: Dra/War
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2023 1
Fri, 8/4/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE
Stars: Corey Hawkins,
Aisling Franciosi
Director: André Øvredal
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
UNTITLED PLEASE DON’T DESTROY
Fri, 8/18/23 WIDE
Stars: Ben Marshall, John Higgins,
Martin Herlihy
Director: Paul Briganti
Rating: NR
Genre: Com
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2023 2
Fri, 9/29/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
EXORCIST FRANCHISE IP
Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
TROLLS 3
Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
MIGRATION
Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE
Director: Benjamin Renner
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2024 1
Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL ANIMATED
EVENT FILM 2024 1
Fri, 2/9/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2024 2
Wed, 2/14/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED DREAMWORKS
ANIMATION FILM
Fri, 3/8/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL ANIMATED
EVENT FILM 2024 2
Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2024 3
Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2024 4
Fri, 5/10/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM
2024 5
Fri, 6/21/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
86
September 2022

DESPICABLE ME 4
Wed, 7/3/23 WIDE
Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig
Director: Chris Renaud
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE
PRODUCTIONS PROJECT 2024 1
Fri, 9/13/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL ANIMATED
EVENT FILM 2024 3
Fri, 9/27/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE
PRODUCTIONS PROJECT 2024 2
Fri, 10/24/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
WICKED PART 1
Wed, 12/25/24 WIDE
Stars: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo
Director: Jon M. Chu
Rating: NR
Genre: Mus
WARNER BROS.
818-977-1850
DON’T WORRY DARLING
Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE
Stars: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles
Director: Olivia Wilde
Rating: R
Genre: Thr
BLACK ADAM
Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Fan
Specs: Imax
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS
Wed, 12/21/22 WIDE
Stars: Zachary Levi,
Jack Dylan Grazer
Director: David F. Sandberg
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/Adv/Fan
Specs: Imax
AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
Fri, 3/17/23 WIDE
Stars: Jason Momoa
Director: James Wan
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF/Fan
Specs: Imax/Dolby Vis/Atmos
SALEM’S LOT
Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE
Stars: Alfre Woodard, Lewis Pullman
Director: Gary Dauberman
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos
THE FLASH
Fri, 6/23/23 WIDE
Stars: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons
Director: Andy Muschietti
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF/Fan
Specs: Imax
BARBIE
Fri, 7/21/23 WIDE
Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling
Director: Greta Gerwig
Rating: NR
Genre: Com
THE MEG 2
Fri, 8/4/23 WIDE
Stars: Jason Statham, Wu Jing
Director: Ben Wheatley
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
BLUE BEETLE
Fri, 8/18/23 WIDE
Stars: Xolo Maridueña
Director: Angel Manuel Soto
Rating: NR
Genre: SF/Fan/Act
UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2023
Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
DUNE: PART TWO
Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE
Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Rating: NR
Genre: SF
Specs: Imax
THE COLOR PURPLE
Fri, 12/20/23 WIDE
Stars: Corey Hawkins,
Taraji P. Henson
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Rating: NR
Genre: Mus
WONKA
Fri, 12/15/23 WIDE
Stars: Timothée Chalamet
Director: Paul King
Rating: NR
Genre: Fan
Specs: Imax
UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM 2023
Fri, 12/25/23 WIDE
Rating: NR
TOTO
Fri, 2/2/24 WIDE
Director: Alex Timbers
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani
UNTITLED GODZILLA/KONG
EVENT FILM
Fri, 3/15/24 WIDE
Director: Adam Wingard
Rating: NR
Genre: Act/SF
ISpecs: max
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR
OF THE ROHIRRIM
Fri, 4/12/24 WIDE
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Rating: NR
Genre: Ani/Fan
FURIOSA
Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy,
Chris Hemsworth
Director: George Miller
Rating: NR
Genre: Act
UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2024 1
Fri, 6/21/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED NEW LINE HORROR
EVENT FILM 2024 1
Fri, 7/12/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
UNTITLED NEW LINE HORROR
EVENT FILM 2024 2
Fri, 8/2/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Genre: Hor
UNTITLED NEW LINE EVENT FILM
2024 3
Fri, 9/6/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2024 2
Fri, 10/4/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
Black Adam
Fri, 10/21/22 Wide
UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM 2024
Fri, 11/8/24 WIDE
Rating: NR
September 2022
87

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Image Credits & Acknowledgments
Cover: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 03: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 04: Photo Courtesy Cinergy Entertainment
Page 09: Photo by Daniel Loria
Page 14: Courtesy Studio Movie Grill.
Photo by Genna Degan Shapella
Page 15-17: Courtesy Variety the Children’s Charity
Page 18: Courtesy Will Rogers Foundation
Page 22-23: Photos by Daniel Loria
Page 24: Courtesy of CMX
Page 27: Courtesy of Violet Crown Cinema
Page 28: Courtesy of Kino Lorber
Page 30-31: Courtesy Alpine Cinemas / Cinemart Cinemas
/ Nicolas Nicolaou
Page 32: Courtesy Cinema Village/ Nicolas Nicolaou
Page 34-39: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 40: Photo of Quentin Tarantino by Gage Skidmore.
Page 41: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 42: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse; Photo by Heather
Kennedy, photo of Tim League by Anna Hanks
Page 43: Photo of Bong Joon Ho. Provided by
Alamo Drafthouse; Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 44: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy
Page 47: Photo by Jeremy Banks via Unsplash.com
Pages 48-49: Provided by Alamo Drafthouse;
Photo by Heather Kennedy.
Pages 50-51: Photos courtesy of Violet Crown Austin
Page 52: Photo courtesy of Moviehouse & Eatery.
Page 53: Photo courtesy of Galaxy Highland.
Page 54: Photo by Daniel Loria
Page 55: Photo courtesy of the Austin Film Society. Photo of
the Paramount Theater by The Austinot, austinot.com.
Page 56: Photo courtesy of Blue Starlite
Page 59: Photo courtesy of Premiere Cinemas
Pages 60-65: Photo courtesy of Cinergy Entertainment
Pages 66-69: Photos courtesy of Premiere Cinemas
Pages 72-74: Photos courtesy of Variety of Texas
Page 77: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Page 78: Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Page 79: Photo: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera
Page 80: Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
© 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Page 81: © MARVEL
Page 82: Photo courtesy of Lukasz Bak/Focus Features
Page 83: © Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.
Page 84: ©2021 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
Photo by Marcell Piti
Page 85: © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
Photo by Elise Lockwood.
Page 86: Photo by JoJo Whilden/Universal Pictures,
© Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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88 September 2022

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on every size of screen. You can count on
outstanding image quality with laser in an
easy-to-operate system. All matched to your
theater's unique needs and operations. From
boutique to premium, we have a laser
solution for every screen and business,
bringing you improved moviegoer
satisfaction, enhanced visual performance,
operational excellence, and resource
efficiency for an eco-friendly and
cost-effective way to deliver cinema.
learn more at www.cinionic.com
LASER PROJECTION FROM