Independent theaters continue to be a vital asset to their communities, with a 9% increase in business in 2025, an encouraging sign for the sector, according to a recent survey. Results of the Art House Convergence‘s first National Audience Survey were released Monday at the IND/EX conference for independent film distribution.
In another hopeful trend for the independent theater business, 25% of those surveyed said they first began going to their preferred art house theaters within the last three years. These new art house moviegoers had an average age of 40, 11 years younger than the average age of all those surveyed, which is 51. Of those recent attendees, 68% were younger than 45.
“Art house cinemas are vital gathering spaces, and an essential component of today’s independent film ecosystem,” said Lela Meadow-Conner, Interim Executive Director of Art House Convergence. “Our latest survey proves that audiences continue to rally around their local independent theaters, and despite current challenges, like shortened theatrical windows, media consolidation and arts funding pressure, moviegoer support for art houses continues to grow. In fact, several of our member theaters across the country have reported their strongest box office months and best annual performances since 2019.”
