Japan’s indie cinemas use time off in pandemic to make movies | The Asahi Shimbun

Numerous small cinemas in Japan, forced to close or cut hours under the COVID-19 pandemic, have used the downtime to branch out into making movies of their own.The films add to the boom of indie films in Japan, which have doubled in the past 15 years, with many shown in the nation’s small cinemas.

For many indie cinema operators, the lack of business during the pandemic has risked putting them in dire straits, but it has also led to operators collaborating and a renewed appreciation of the cinemas’ value as cultural hubs that support the diversity of film screenings.

Source: Japan’s indie cinemas use time off in pandemic to make movies | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis