Coronavirus closed your local art-house movie theater. Can streaming help save it?
Before the coronavirus shut down the movie industry in mid-March, the biggest threat to art-house cinemas was people watching movies through streaming services and video on-demand sites instead of going to their local theater.
However, with revenue and concession sales reduced to zero for the foreseeable future, some small theaters have resorted to a surprisingly tech-savvy tactic: showing movies online.
Logan Crow, founder of the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, Calif., is one of dozens of indie cinema owners who have partnered with studios and distributors to create "virtual cinemas" that allow patrons to pay to watch certain movies on the web while audiences are stuck at home. Best of all, the nonprofit Frida gets a cut of the revenue.
"Streaming is certainly not new," Crow said. "But
