The New York City government announced an inaugural “Art House Cinema Week” event, with the goal of encouraging city residents to get out and enjoy their local cinema. The event takes place during the week of March 20-26, and will include 30 different art house movie theatres in NYC. Participating theatres will offer discounted tickets and concessions, reprising the model of “Restaurant Week” that is well-understood by consumers. The city is also offering 5,000 free tickets to residents who are school teachers, military veterans and citizens with disabilities, among other groups.
Coordination of the event falls under Rafael Espinal, appointed to the position of Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) under newly-elected mayor Zohran Mamdani. Espinal explained that the goal for this event is to allow NYC residents to “experience the magic of cinema while supporting their local theaters.” Perhaps it will be repeated in other major U.S. markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas to highlight moviegoing as an accessible and enjoyable form of community-based entertainment.
