Can Arthouse Theatres Survive?

The seventh annual Arthouse Convergence conference takes place January 13-16 at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah. The event is expected to draw nearly 400 arthouse theatre owners and managers to more than 25 sessions over the four days. Film critic Leonard Maltin is among the keynote speakers and the sessions will cover such topics as customer service, concessions, memberships and programming. I will be at the show and will have reports from there. To understand the current state of independent art house cinemas in the United States, a good place to start is downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, where within a stone’s throw of each other sit the majestic Michigan Theatre and the smaller State Theatre. The theatres have something of a shared history, which only serves to highlight their differences. Despite their close proximity and their significant business ties, one theatre represents the potential that digital cinema technology can bring to a thriving cultural center while the other illustrates the many challenges that the transition presents to theatres that have yet to make the move. Russ Collins, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Theatre is involved with both ventures and, as the chairman of the trade group Art House Convergence has a solid perspective on the past, present and future state of the independent art house cinema.