The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain is one of the biggest exhibitors of films in the US. And thus, it’s also one of the biggest exhibitors that is feeling the financial pressure of being closed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. And like many other distributors and exhibitors, Drafthouse is attempting to figure out how to make some money during this dark time. The answer appears to be Alamo-At-Home.
READ MORE: Alamo Drafthouse Introduces $2 Million Relief Fund To Assist Furloughed Workers
According to Alamo Drafthouse, the initiative titled Alamo-At-Home is an attempt to bring the same experience that film fans have at one of the theaters to their homes. Leading the way, as part of the initiative is the Virtual Cinema option, in conjunction with Kino Lorber, Magnolia, and Film Movement, where people can go online to buy virtual tickets and screen first-run films from their homes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting their local Drafthouse.
“The entire reason Karrie and I built theaters in the first place was to bring people together in a celebration of film,” says Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO. “Our theaters are currently closed, but that doesn’t have to mean our communities have to remain shuttered as well. We intend to hunker down, weather this storm and reemerge on the other side. Until then, we’ll continue to work to share the movies we love with this community, and find ways to support each other.”
And as part of Alamo-At-Home, the Virtual Cinema is actually expanding to include the long-running film series Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday, where the company will offer screenings of films supported by American Genre Film Archive (AGFA).
“Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday aren’t just film series- they’re communities, and even though our theater doors are currently closed, it’s vital that we continue to foster these communities because they are truly the heart of the Alamo Drafthouse,” says Sarah Pitre, Senior Director of Programming and Promotions.
In addition to the Virtual Cinema, Alamo-At-Home will have new merch and online recipes for some of the chain’s more iconic food items. All this in an attempt to bring the theater-going experience home, while also supporting local cinemas.
You can find out more about Alamo Drafthouse’s various new initiatives at the official website.