Voices from Mini-Theaters

2020/07/20

Due to the impact of the new coronavirus, the number of customers had been decreasing since around the second half of February. However, with the support of our regular customers and our desire to continue delivering the precious works entrusted to us by film directors, performers, stakeholders, and distribution companies, we continued operations while implementing seat restrictions and hygiene measures. However, following the declaration of a state of emergency on April 7, we made the painful decision to close from April 8.

In addition to the decrease in customers, the closure put the theater's management in a difficult situation. To allow people to support us even while closed, we sold a 3,000 yen support package on our online shop that included "your name displayed on the screen, a screening ticket, and a special postcard." During the sales period of just two weeks, more than 2,000 people purchased it.

Furthermore, through the "Mini-Theater Aid Fund" crowdfunding campaign—launched by film directors and industry professionals under the call to "Connect to the Future!! Support Mini-Theaters Nationwide that have Nurtured Diverse Film Culture"—we received over 300 million yen in support from approximately 30,000 backers. This is set to be distributed to more than 100 theaters across the country.

Similarly, the #Save The Cinema "Save the Mini-Theaters!" Project, also initiated by many film industry professionals, continues its movement to request emergency support from the government for small-scale cinemas (mini-theaters) nationwide that have been hit hard by the coronavirus. To date, over 90,000 people have signed the petition.

All of our staff are deeply grateful for these movements of support and encouragement. We feel truly heartened that so many people understand and support the cultural and artistic activities of mini-theaters and local cinemas.

Subsequently, following the lifting of the state of emergency and Kanagawa Prefecture's business suspension request, we were able to resume operations on June 1. Together with the staff, we are approaching the reopening with thorough infection prevention and hygiene measures. The fact that we were able to make such preparations and deployments is thanks to the support mentioned above, and I truly feel that it has allowed us to keep the work of the cinema going.

Another initiative we worked on during the closure was theater-support-type online screenings. This is a system where, with the cooperation of film distribution companies, a portion of the revenue from customers watching films via online screenings on the internet is allocated to the theater.

While almost all movie theaters across the country were closed, many people watched films using these theater-support-type online screenings. This is a very grateful initiative in terms of being able to earn income through films.

On the other hand, for a movie theater, the spread of online film viewing is also a threat. Several of our own customers have said they started watching movies online due to the recent stay-at-home requests. Previously, it seemed that younger people were the primary users, but now many older people are also using it, finding online viewing more convenient as it doesn't require transportation costs.

Until now, mini-theaters in regional areas often received screenings several months after their release in Tokyo. However, since you can watch them early online, there is a possibility that film lovers in regional areas might stop visiting mini-theaters, preferring online screenings.

Although we have resumed operations, customers have not returned immediately. With the spread of online screenings as mentioned above, I believe mini-theaters must make efforts to survive in the future.

Viewing on a large screen with powerful sound can now be achieved even with home theaters. We must widely communicate the significance of watching movies in a cinema. Experiencing a film in the darkness of a theater, concentrated in an environment with an unspecified number of people. Encountering works and people at a mini-theater, which acts as a film select shop. Or, making the effort to travel to the cinema and including the city scenery and shops before and after the movie as part of the film experience—I believe that conveying the wonders of watching films in a theater in various ways will become an important job for mini-theaters.

In the film industry, it is not just the theaters that are facing hardships, but also film distribution companies and creators such as directors and performers. Films with high authorship and artistic quality that have been screened at mini-theaters nationwide, but are not large in scale, may no longer be viable in terms of budget and may cease to be distributed or produced if mini-theaters across the country close down. If that happens, I believe the diversity of Japanese film culture will be significantly damaged.

Therefore, I want to stand in solidarity with mini-theaters across the country to overcome this corona crisis. So that after it subsides, more people will take an interest in mini-theaters and more people will visit mini-theaters nationwide. Precisely because we can now feel that so many people are supporting mini-theaters, I believe we should further communicate the wonders of mini-theaters.