Independent movie theaters in Mexico grew 70% in the past five years, though many were unaware they even existed.
In 2013 , there were 290 independent movie theaters in the country, according to a statistical year-book edited by the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE) . Last year, more than 500 theaters were registered.
This means that 1 out of every 12 movie screens in the country can be found in an independent movie theater, as opposed to large theater chains such as Cinépolis or Cinemex .
Cinematheques, cinema clubs, and universities, as well as spaces like Cinemanía and Cine Tonalá in Mexico City were also included in the list.
Not long after mainstream movie theater chains refused to screen Roma due to a conflict of interest with the American media-services provider Netflix , Alfonso Cuarón decided to bet on independent movie theaters in Mexico.
At the end of November , the film, which tells the story of a domestic worker who lives with a Mexican upper middle-class family, was rejected by commercial movie theater chains in Mexico after Netflix refused to adjust its premiere of Roma to their traditional window of exhibition.
In Mexico, tradition dictates that movies are to screened at least three months before the film material is distributed through other media platforms. However, Netflix gave movie theaters a span of only three weeks before the film’s premiere on the streaming platform. Thus, the movie was mostly screened in independent movie theaters.
Hundreds of independent movie theaters were flooded with over 20 thousand Mexican viewers eager to see Cuarón’s latest creation last year.
This figure is substantial since most independent theaters have no more than 50 seats.
The number of spectators grew when the film was screened at the former official residence of Los Pinos, Tlatelolco, and the Blackberry Auditorium in Mexico City , gathering around 7 thousand people .
Fertile ground
The increase in popularity of independent movie theaters, which usually offer a more diverse program than mainstream chains, represents a major step forward for film culture in Mexico.
“I am very glad that Roma helped to make some of these theaters visible. Many of them offer a more varied program than big companies and I think that this will be healthy for the industry,” Cuarón commented in an interview with EL UNIVERSAL .
“I believe that the best way to watch a movie is to go to a movie theater, but I am also in favor of diversity regarding film content. Unfortunately, commercial theater chains have limited this diversity considerably . I think it is wonderful that more and more people are taking a liking to independent movie theaters,” added the filmmaker.
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