Art House Convergence 2017

The last 10 years has been dominated by the transition from celluloid to bits and bytes and by a vast increase in audience access to audiovisual content. The technical switch has been surprisingly calm but attention is now firmly on the potential of the D-Cinema Era in terms of cinemas, audiences and film itself. This panel explores some of the main currents of change and considers the range of challenges ahead, including:

Demand creation. Cinema remains the preeminent medium for creating demand for film and ensuring that it retains its rich diversity. But what are challenges to that position and how might they be tackled, particularly in relation to young audiences?

Enhanced Experiences. Cinemas are moving beyond their role as the ‘exhibition’ end of a long value chain. Most cinemas now run a wide variety of events, non-film programmes and educational services. What are the most promising trends and what might the cinema of 2027 look like?

On Demand and Trusted Curation. On-demand or curated content? The earliest stages of Video On Demand were all focused on volume – instant access to what we think we want. Now the emphasis is on a smaller choice of content, carefully selected, and sometimes produced, in conjunction with trusted curators. That would appear to play to the strengths on cinemas, so are there new opportunities in the on-demand world?