Five years after the coronavirus lockdown, indie distributors are working together to bring 2020 and 2021 releases to theaters, where big screen releases were hampered or canceled due to pandemic restrictions. Lost Films of Corona, organized by ticketing platform Filmbot, will take place in select locations in December, with the aim of celebrating the resilience of independent theaters and the appeal of repertory film programs among film fans.
The series includes seven titles from five independent banners. A24 will also screen the porn star comedy “Red Rocket,” which Sean Baker directed and wrote before his Best Picture winner “Anora,” and Kelly Reichardt’s western “First Cow,” which began a limited release in March 2020 and was pulled from theaters as venues began to temporarily close. “Red Rocket” will be screened in 35mm at some locations.
“We made ‘Red Rocket’ specifically for the big screen, so it’s great to know that audiences who haven’t had the chance to see it in that way will finally be able to see it,” Baker said.
“Well, how wonderful that ‘First Cow’ will be playing at the lovely Nighthawk Cinema and other independent theaters, among the many other films that have been devastated by the effects of COVID-19,” Reichardt said. “I’m sitting here listening to the music of the late, great John Prine. Maybe this series will be an ode to all the people we’ve lost to the pandemic.”
Planning for “Lost Films of COVID” began in July when Filmbot CEO Max Friend shared the idea for the series with Baker and his producer wife, Samantha Quan, at Arthouse Convergence’s biennial industry gathering for independent theaters. Mr. Baker and Mr. Quan were keynote speakers at the event.
Neon is joining A24 on two titles: the Nicolas Cage drama “The Pig” and writer/director Michael Sarnoski’s breakthrough film “The Painter and the Thief,” a Norwegian documentary directed by Benjamin Lee about the friendship between an artist and the convicted criminal who stole her work. The series also includes GKids’ Wolfwalkers, an Oscar-nominated Irish animated feature from Tom Moore and Ross Stewart. IFC’s “Relic” is a horror film that marks the feature debut of director Natalie Erica James. and Film Movement’s “The Wild Goose Lake,” a neo-noir by Chinese filmmaker Diao Yinan.
The entire Lost Films of COVID series is currently scheduled to be shown at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California from December 12th to December 14th. Other participating venues in December include Nighthawk Cinemas in Brooklyn, NY; Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio. and the Harris Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“When Filmbot approached us with the idea of honoring some of the ‘lost’ films that were released and under-played in theaters due to COVID-19, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Matthew Viragh, Executive Director and Founder of Nitehawk. “We’ve only scratched the surface and there are still plenty of movies to include, so perhaps this series can survive year after year and maybe even build a bigger lineup in the future.”
“Frida Cinema is proud to join other leading independent theaters in presenting this critically important collection of films,” said Frida Programmer Trevor Dillon. “All of our staff and our community of movie fans believe in one thing above all else: The communal experience of watching a movie on the big screen is something that can never be replaced.”
“Independent film is the heart of cinema, fearless, human, and essential to keeping the art form alive and connected to the world it reflects,” said Chris Hummel, CEO of the Gateway Film Foundation. “The Lost Films of Coronavirus program comes at just the right time, celebrating a creativity that was all but lost and reaffirming why independent voices must always be represented on the big screen.”
A 2025 survey conducted by the AHC surveyed 31,500 moviegoers from 50 local film organizations and found that the majority of those surveyed cited programming of previously released films as a reason for watching movies on the big screen. The only two reasons for the high voting results were “the cinematography and sound will be much improved” and “the film will only be released in theaters and there are no plans to stream it.”
“There’s a kind of alchemy that happens when you experience a movie together on a big screen in a theater,” said Friends for Filmbot. “Independent theaters in particular have a special instinct for curating new releases and repertoire based on what audiences want most.” “While some of the greatest films of recent years have been robbed of the spotlight in theaters due to COVID-19, we are proud to work with distributors and theaters to ensure audiences can enjoy these films as they were originally scheduled to be seen. At their core, this series is a testament to the timeless nature of visionary filmmaking and the resilience of the independent film teams who elevate these stories.”
