Recent research shows that independent theaters continue to be an important asset to communities, with business increasing by 9% in 2025, a positive sign for the sector. The results of Art House Convergence’s first national audience survey were announced Monday at the IND/EX Conference on Independent Film Distribution.
In another hopeful trend in the independent theater business, 25% of those surveyed said they started attending their preferred arthouse theater within the past three years. The average age of these new arthouse moviegoers was 40 years old, 11 years younger than the average age of all those surveyed, which was 51 years old. Of recent attendees, 68% were under 45 years old.
“Arthouse movie theaters are important gathering spaces and a critical component of today’s independent film ecosystem,” said Lela Meadow Connor, Interim Executive Director of Arthouse Convergence. “Our latest research proves that audiences continue to flock to local independent theaters, and moviegoer support for arthouses continues to grow despite current challenges such as shortened theatrical windows, media consolidation, and pressure on arts funding. In fact, several member theaters across the country reported their strongest monthly box office and best annual box office results since 2019.”
The study was presented at IND/EX’s Art House Audience Trends session, presented by sponsor Filmbot, and conducted by market research consultancy Avenue ISR with additional data from Rentrak.
Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends at Rentrak, acknowledged that box office revenue for independent films was up 38% compared to 2019, an impressive statistic considering the impact of the coronavirus is still lingering across theaters.
The survey, conducted in April and May, questioned 27,000 moviegoers about their moviegoing habits, preferences, and favorite arthouse theater experiences.
More than 70% of those surveyed said their favorite art house theater was “very” or “extremely valuable” to their overall quality of life. Meanwhile, 97% agreed that theaters show “unique, high-quality films” and 88% agreed that theaters are “cultural hubs for the community.”
Respondents also understand the importance of supporting local movie theaters, with 43% saying they participate in a theater membership program to support theaters and gain access to members-only screenings and events.
Moviegoers surveyed said they watch at least 10 movies a year at their favorite arthouse theaters, and they value theaters that screen non-mainstream films, offer interesting programs and events, foster a sense of community, and have beautiful interiors.
Respondents also said they might go see their favorite theaters more often if they offered more special events for guests and more restored and remastered repertoire films.
Moviegoers learn about movies from recommendations from friends and family, emails from theaters, trailers and screenings, movie reviews, theater websites and social media, and social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, and Letterboxd, in order of importance.
“Attendance at the Music Box returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and has grown 10-15% annually since then,” said Ryan Oestreich, general manager of Chicago’s Music Box Theater. “Music Box has built community through film through our historical commitment to regularly programming movies that people want to see for multiple audiences. Additionally, we provide excellent customer service, presentation, and a beautiful venue to watch movies.”
Art House Convergence, in partnership with the Film Festival Alliance, is a coalition of independent exhibitors hosting the IND/EX conference, which runs through Thursday in Chicago. On Tuesday, IND/EX will perform “Sorry to Bother You” at the Music Box, and filmmaker Boots Riley will also be in attendance. “I Love Booster” director Reilly is the official ambassador for AHC’s annual Art House Theater Days, which will be held at more than 100 movie theaters on July 30th.
