Art House Convergence

CinemaCon exists so studios can show exhibitors what is coming. Art House Convergence exists for cinemas whose programming decisions are not primarily driven by the studio slate — non-profits, single screens, cultural venues, university cinemas, community-run operations and independents with a curatorial identity.

The consequence is that the sessions cover things the larger conventions barely touch: membership and donor models, board governance for non-profit cinemas, grant funding, building and retaining a local audience, repertory and season programming, accessibility as a mission commitment rather than a compliance item, and the economics of a venue where the bar and the membership matter as much as the box office.

It is also, by most accounts, a more useful room for a small operator than a large convention, because everybody in it is running a business roughly your size with roughly your problems.

The conference has moved venue and format over the years and the current edition's dates and location are announced by the organisation directly. We are not going to guess at them here — check arthouseconvergence.org for the confirmed edition.

If you run an art house and can only justify one event a year, this is a stronger candidate than CinemaCon. The suppliers are fewer, but the sessions are aimed at you rather than at a circuit.