Support your local cinema – The Kamloops Film Society
April 21, 2023
NICE Letter Writing Campaign
Across Canada, independent cinemas do the important work of sharing stories and building community. Many of your favourite cinemas are labours of love, run by people who work hard to create unique experiences for their audience.
Independent cinemas need structural support and policy changes in order to thrive, or even survive. The Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors (NICE) has collaborated on a proposal defending this important industry—before it’s too late.
Cineplex Zones
Cineplex represents 75% of Canadian theatrical box office market share. This is an outsized slice of the pie, especially when compared to the largest exhibitors in Australia (28.7%), the UK (24%) and the US (26%).
Many independent cinemas have second-class access to new movies: they must wait for Cineplex to finish playing a new release before they are allowed to show it.
This is enforced by what is called the ‘zone’ system. Independent cinemas need to wait until a Cineplex in a geographic area called a ‘zone’ has ended its run of a film. There is no map of zones available, even to the independent cinemas who are subject to their restrictions. Many independent cinemas report that the Cineplex zones they have to clear will change between films.
Zones restrictions keep independent cinemas from playing films, but two Cineplex locations in close proximity can play a film at the same time. For example, zones do not impact Yonge-Dundas and Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto, despite being only approximately 1 kilometre apart.
Zones are inconsistently applied—even for the same cinema over the course of just a few titles—and don’t correspond to any official system.
The solution: Eliminate zones, allowing independent cinemas to book films at the same time as chains.
Write your elected representatives in support of independent cinemas! Your message will be emailed to your local representatives, based on the postal code you provide.
Kamloops Film Society
The Kamloops Film Society is the umbrella organization that operates the Paramount Theatre and runs two main events: The Thursday Film Series and the annual March Kamloops Film Festival, which includes the Kamloops Independent Short Shorts Festival. The KFS has been operating for over 45 years and was officially incorporated under the BC Societies Act on August 17, 1994. In the spring of 2019, The Kelson Group purchased the Paramount Theatre and leased the venue to the KFS. The support of The Kelson Group and Ron Fawcett has made the venture possible as The KFS continues to make the theatre a cultural venue.
My Blog Posts Visit My Website