Kino Lorber Announces Streaming Option For New Films That Shares Revenue With Closed Cinemas

Kino Lorber has decided to take the initiative during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and has developed a new distribution model that will allow the studio to release its slate of upcoming films while also helping the arthouse cinemas that would have shown the projects on the big screen. The new program, dubbed Kino Marquee, is set to launch with the upcoming film “Bacurau,” and, if it’s successful, could provide a very unique streaming alternative to the current theatrical experience that also helps cinemas.

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According to Kino Lorber, the Marquee program gives each of the studio’s upcoming releases its own streaming website that users can access by purchasing a virtual ticket. Once there, the site is branded with the local arthouse cinema that would have screened the film and the user can watch the movie from the comfort of their own home. The revenue gained by this system will be split amongst Kino Lorber and its theatrical partner.

The first locations that are teaming with Kino Lorber for Kino Marquee are New York’s Film at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Jacob Burns Film Center. Those theaters have been selected, as each was scheduled to debut “Bacurau” this month. Now that the film will not debut in theaters as expected, Kino Lorber is presenting film fans with an option to simultaneously watch a great film, while also helping the struggling theaters.

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“When theaters started to close, we at Kino Lorber turned our thoughts to how we could collaborate with our independent theater partners across the country. We cannot release the kinds of films we do without their support,” said Wendy Lidell, SVP of Theatrical Distribution at Kino Lorber. “Of course we wanted to find a way to keep our current film release in front of audiences, but to do so in a way that would also benefit our exhibition partners. We want to help ensure that these theaters will be able to reopen their doors after this crisis passes. The Kino Marquee program offers an opportunity for theaters to generate revenue while their doors are closed.”

Here is the current list of theaters on board with the new program:

Film at Lincoln Center (New York, NY)
BAM (Brooklyn, NY)
Jacob Burns Film Center (Pleasantville, NY)
The Little Theatre (Rochester, NY)
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Riviera Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA)
The Frida Cinema (Santa Ana, CA)
Denver Film / Sie FilmCenter (Denver, CO)
Belcourt Theater (Nashville, TN)
Loft Cinema (Tucson, AZ)
Austin Film Society (Austin, TX)
Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, OH)
Aperture Cinema (Winston Salem, NC)

Invitations have been sent to all 60 locations that have already committed to showing “Bacurau,” so this list is expected to grow in the days to come. The Kino Marquee program is expected to continue with virtual releases with other currently scheduled and upcoming Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist first run and repertory titles at least until theaters are able to reopen.

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Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber commented, “As a company whose mantra has always been ‘experience cinema’ we’re keen to help our exhibition partners maintain their visibility and value in launching the whole media career of the carefully curated films we all care so much about. We’re all in this together and will come through it stronger with the support of the film-loving communities our theaters serve.”

We recently reported that Swedish distributors are working on a streaming alternative that is similar to Kino Marquee that will help local cinemas in that country. However, this is the first service of its kind to make its way to the US and provides some cinemas the opportunity to earn income even when their doors are shut.

The Kino Marquee initiative will go live over the next few days.

Here’s an example of what the interface will look like:

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