National Cinema Day should come back…but tied to the Oscar nominations

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National Cinema Day should come back...but tied to the Oscar nominations

As a lifelong cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the magic of cinema, I wholeheartedly agree with this thoughtful analysis. The power of National Cinema Day lies not only in its ability to rekindle the communal experience of watching movies on the big screen but also in its potential to introduce audiences to lesser-known gems that may have slipped through their streaming algorithm nets.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve found myself yearning to reconnect with the magical experience of watching films in theaters after the tumultuous years of 2020 and 2021. To bring us back to our seats, the thoughtful folks at Cinema Foundation came up with a brilliant idea: National Cinema Day! This annual event, held towards the end of summer in both 2022 and 2023, offered moviegoers the chance to savor the latest releases for incredibly low prices. For just $3 in 2022 and $4 in 2023, you could immerse yourself in an array of titles, from blockbusters like ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ to intriguing films such as ‘Nope’. You had the freedom to catch these movies in any format that suited your fancy. The two National Cinema Days have been nothing short of a triumph! In 2023 alone, it generated an impressive $34 million from a whopping 8.5 million ticket sales.

By the time summer of 2024 was drawing to a close, there was no sign of National Cinema Day taking place. On August 29, 2024, IndieWire ran an article detailing the challenges faced in organizing another edition of this event. Movie theaters and associations such as the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) are hesitant about reviving it in 2024. Issues like managing unruly crowds, potential losses during the festivities, deciding on an appropriate date, among others, have made planning for National Cinema Day challenging in 2024.

I have an idea regarding the topic: Let’s reintroduce National Cinema Day and establish it as a consistent event in our cinema culture. Instead of scheduling it during late summer, how about we shift it to a Sunday after the announcement of the Oscar nominees? This way, people can enjoy a day at the movies with the excitement of knowing who’s in the running for the prestigious awards.

Art-focused films are gradually returning to theaters, but they’re not yet at their pre-pandemic levels. So far in 2024, no limited-release movie has made more than $10 million. The top-grossing limited release this year is “Love Lies Bleeding,” which earned $7 million. In contrast, by the same time in 2019, there were already three limited releases that had surpassed $10 million domestically, with three others outperforming “Love Lies Bleeding.” By mid-August 2018, that year had already seen four limited releases make over $10 million. This shows a significant difference in performance.

2024 has showcased numerous standout films produced outside the traditional studio system, such as “Thelma”, “Late Night with the Devil”, and “Kalki 2898 A.D”. Normally, these movies would have debuted in limited releases before expanding to wider audiences. However, the pandemic forced studios to release more films directly into wide release. Despite this shift, there’s still a noticeable slowdown in limited releases. It’s becoming increasingly challenging for general audiences to appreciate lower-key arthouse productions like “Ghostlight” or “Sing Sing”, as they may not seem essential viewing compared to big-screen events. With wages for the working class remaining flat and many U.S. cities lacking movie theaters, it’s crucial that we address the need for increased accessibility to a variety of theatrical film experiences.

Creating a “National Cinema Day” linked to Oscar nominations wouldn’t instantly resolve the issue, but it might spark interest in watching smaller-scale films on the big screen once more. By offering $4 tickets and the exciting tagline “this is a Best Picture nominee!!”, people may be enticed to watch movies they would typically avoid. Movies like “The Fabelmans,” “Women Talking,” and “Past Lives” are just a few of the recent Best Picture nominees that could have been discovered through this initiative, expanding the range of films accessible to many.

Instead of difficult movie titles getting lost amidst the streaming service’s preference for familiar sitcom episodes, limited theater showtimes – especially on special days like National Cinema Day – carry an urgency that grabs people’s attention. Lowering ticket prices for just one day could serve as a powerful reminder to viewers about the temporary nature of these screenings.

On National Cinema Day, these highly acclaimed movies might see their popularity skyrocket as people share their positive experiences. This could lead to many more individuals watching these films, and possibly inspiring them to recommend lesser-known titles to their loved ones at regular ticket prices. While this is just a possibility, it’s worth noting that theaters may experience a “short-term loss, long-term gain” situation if this happens. In other words, they might initially lose money on these specific screenings, but could potentially reap greater benefits in the future due to increased interest in cinema.

It’s true that some film enthusiasts often opt for flashier, escapist movies over freshly nominated Best Picture films, such as in late 1999 when people preferred to watch “Big Daddy” over Michael Mann’s “The Insider”. Light-hearted entertainment has always been a significant part of the cinematic world. But here’s where the timing of this potential new National Cinema Day could make a difference. Many December blockbusters can still be seen in January. However, it’s likely that audiences have already watched them numerous times by then. This is when a mid-January event like National Cinema Day might attract more viewers, as they may not have had the chance to see some of these films yet.

In contrast to August, which used to host National Cinema Day, fewer major blockbusters are released in January 2025. At present, the lineup includes films like “Mickey17”, horror movies such as “The Wolfman” by Blumhouse, and “Den of Thieves 2: The Secret of the Ooze”. This relatively sparse selection of new releases won’t pose much competition for the newly nominated Oscar contenders. The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on January 17. If you were to schedule National Cinema Day for Sunday, January 26 (to avoid clashing with the three-day weekend from January 17-20), the cinematic landscape would be sparse enough to allow the Best Picture and acting Oscar nominees to shine as must-see spectacles.

Discussing this matter, scheduling National Cinema Day in late January could alleviate a longstanding issue at the box office, which has been problematic even before COVID-19. Late January is typically a financial wasteland as the last two weeks and Super Bowl weekend are usually the least profitable periods of the year. For example, the final weekend of January 2015 earned just $80 million, while the last January frame in 2019 accumulated only $73.8 million. By hosting National Cinema Days during these dates, we could potentially boost a normally sluggish segment of the annual box office.

Maybe scheduling National Cinema Day during the Oscar nominations period could boost viewership for the Oscars. This way, more individuals might tune in if they’ve watched the contenders for Best Picture. I can assure you, exceptional films such as Tar, Nomadland, or Anatomy of a Fall are unlikely to be seen on streaming platforms like Hulu or Max. This isn’t a commentary on the quality or artistic value of these movies; rather, it reflects that such productions aren’t typically consumed through those streaming services. To attract more Oscar viewers, making theatrical screenings more accessible and not solely relying on streaming seems crucial.

As a movie enthusiast myself, I’ve noticed that people have been flocking to cinemas over the past few years, proving their passion for the big screen. All it takes is an enticing offer to draw them back to their local theaters. Instead of confining National Cinema Day to the end of summer, why not consider shifting it to another time of the year? This period, which is filled with prestigious award ceremonies, could be a perfect fit for such an event… offering a delightful addition to the already bustling award season schedule.

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2024-08-31 03:15