Indie films aimed at audiences with sophisticated tastes get a hand from the second largest U.S. theater circuit with AMC Artisan Films.
Movie theater chain AMC Entertainment promises to “program specialized movies consistently in select locations throughout the United States, providing what the company terms ‘consistent and convenient showtimes’ for the works,” writes Deadline.com’s Anthony D’Alessandro and Bruce Haring.
Says AMC, “Any movie with the AMC Artisan Films seal shows expertise in writing, directing, acting and/or one of the many component parts that make up a movie. It is an artist-driven, thought-provoking movie that advances the art of filmmaking.” An independent film is any movie not released by the six major movie studios and over the years has the connotation of having an up-market that wins awards like the Oscars.
Asked if the Artisan initiative will open the door for original movies from dot-coms like Netflix that get truncated theatrical release, an AMC spokesperson said no — it’s for films with substantial theatrical runs.
Big theater chains over the years have mounted sporadic initiatives courting up-market indie films and audiences with varying degrees of success over the years. Arty and sophisticated adult films generate modest box office so are difficult for mainstream exhibitors like AMC to service. An earlier effort dubbed “AMCi” was mounted in 2010.
AMC is owned by Dalian Wanda Group, which is the Chinese multinational film company. AMC has 8,118 screens in the U.S. covering 44 states and the District of Columbia.
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