THB #694: Whose CinemaCon Is It Anyway? - Pt 3, In Conclusion

So… there is the business and the is the art form… so what is CinemaCon in 2025?

It’s an endless parade of dichotomies. It’s hard core business and big time fun. It’s absolutely necessary and utterly useless. It’s programming has mostly lost its meaning to the “big guys” while still a guiding event for thousands of single-or-double-screen owners all across the country. The studios work hard to be the best show of the week but then whine to gossips that they aren’t appreciated enough. There is endless flowery talk about how important exhibition is as partners to distribution - because they are - but just keep doing the same things they have been doing that makes exhibition insane without missing a beat.

The week started with a major muscle flex by the head of the newly renamed Cinema United… which was followed by everyone but one 80something artist avoiding mentioning the most important current issue for exhibitors and distributors like it was chlamydia.

I am, obviously, pro-exhibition.…