By Raymond Matthews
The COVID-19 crisis threatens the future of cinema, said both New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis and Art House Convergence managing director Alison Kozberg at a recent virtual presentation sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center.
They believe that independent art house film makers and large film production companies will continue to prioritize streaming over in-person moviegoing once the pandemic ends.
Art House Convergence managing director Alison Kozberg.
As someone who is dedicated to the survival of art house theaters, Kozberg is concerned that the unique community found in independent cinemas is at risk in the age of social distancing.
“When art house films are made and distributed to independent theaters, those theaters’ individual staff work hard to tailor film experiences for their audiences,” she said. “We often only think of theaters as featuring big block-buster films but they can be valuable places for local filmmakers to present their craft and grow as artists. These theaters aren’t just physical spaces, they’re really nuanced and special communities.”
In order to support independent theaters and art house filmmakers that can’t distribute their films as they normally would, Kozberg has been working to find donors that can support these theaters and filmmakers while they’ve been temporarily shut down.
“Art house convergence is a non-profit organization that shares resources and educational opportunities with art houses and cinemas around the country. Our latest project is called the Art House America campaign which is an emergency grant given to independent art theaters that have been temporarily closed to COVID,” Kozberg said. “It has been really amazing to see these donors show a huge wave of support for these theaters and show their love for independent, art house films.”
New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis.
Independent theaters and art house film makers aren’t the only ones in danger due to the pandemic. New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis has an insider’s perspective on largescale film studios, and she said that even major studios such as Universal are struggling to maintain their audiences now that moviegoers can’t go to theaters to see blockbuster movies.
“Right now big studios and film distributors have come to a standstill and they’re holding off on releasing their big films,” Dargis said. “We’ve heard from studios like Universal that digital releases have been doing really well, but as of now we’re playing it by ear to see how studios are going to survive.”
While moviegoers will eventually return to theaters, Dargis warned that the pandemic may change the way people see movies long after it’s over.
“More people are turning to streaming platforms like Netflix right now for their entertainment and film studios are clamoring to release their films on streaming platforms which has been really lucrative,” Dargis said. “Since theaters are taking a financial hit right now and it could be a long time before they reopen, some people may grow more accustomed to streaming and leave theaters in the past. But right now it’s very up in the air.”
Raymond Matthews is a third year Political Science major at UC Santa Barbara. He is a Web and Social Media Intern for the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts.