Art House Convergence (AHC), the non-profit organization serving art house cinemas across the country, shared the results from its annual National Audience Survey at the IND/EX conference, presented by marquee sponsor Filmbot. The findings were announced today on the first day of the conference at a session focused on “Art House Audience Trends,” presented by independent market research consulting firm Avenue ISR, with additional field data from Rentrak.
“Art house cinemas are vital gathering spaces, and an essential component of today’s independent film ecosystem” says 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.”
“Independent cinemas that are part of Art House Convergence have seen an 8.8% uptick in year over year grosses, and an impressive 38% over 2019,” says Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends for Rentrak. “Independent theaters show impressive revenue-generating horsepower and put into circuit terms they would collectively represent the 13th largest grossing group of cinemas year-to-date in the United States. This reflects the keen interest that moviegoers have in supporting their local independent theaters and the enthusiasm they have for the type of cutting-edge films that AHC member cinemas present so brilliantly on their big screens.”
Ryan Oestreich, General Manager of Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, an AHC member theater, says “The Music Box attendance returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and has been growing by 10-15% every year since. Music Box has built a community through cinema, by doing what’s always worked, programming for multiple audiences with films they want to see on a consistent basis; plus we offer great customer service, presentation and a beautiful venue to watch movies in.” Tomorrow night The Music Box will host IND/EX’s repertory showing of Sorry to Bother You with filmmaker Boots Riley (writer-director of the current indie hit I Love Boosters) in attendance and screening for more than 700 independent exhibition professionals. Riley also serves as the Official Ambassador for AHC’s annual Art House Theater Day – a celebration of independent cinemas – taking place July 30th at more than 100 cinemas across the country.
More than 27,000 moviegoers participated in the survey through a partnership with more than 50 art house movie theaters, independent cinema chains and other film exhibition organizations. Respondents from all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in the new survey, which was conducted during the months of April & May 2026. Respondents anonymously answered detailed questions about their moviegoing behaviors and preferences as well as their experiences at their preferred art house theaters.
Key Findings:
Art House Experience as a Quality-of-Life Choice & Community Hub
- More than 70% of survey respondents say that their preferred art house theater destination is “very” or “extremely valuable” to their overall quality of life.
- Respondents see positive benefits on both personal and community levels:
- 97% agree their theater “presents unique and high-quality films”
- 77% agree their theater “exposes me to new ideas and ways of thinking”
- 78% believe their art house “makes me a more well-rounded person”
- 91% of respondents agree that the theater “elevates the experience of being in this community”
- 88% agree the theater is “cultural hub of the community”
These filmgoers also recognize the role of art house theaters in building connections and promoting dialogue:
- 68% agree their preferred theater “connects me to people who share my interests/beliefs”
- 73% agree the theater “creates a forum for important community conversations”
Many of these cineastes do more than just purchase tickets to attend screenings and events at their preferred art house.
- 43% have joined their theaters membership programs.
- 89% said they have purchased those memberships to “provide support” to the theater or organization
- 41% joined for member-only screenings and events
Curation is Key
Moviegoers in this survey attend more than 10 movies a year at their preferred art house theaters, representing 55% of their moviegoing habit. This number holds steady with data from the last two years. (The 45% of other moviegoing habits is most often associated with multiplexes or other chain formats.)
Compared to chain or multiplex theaters, moviegoers in this survey preferred indie theaters because art houses:
- 86%: Showcase “more films that are outside the mainstream”
- 74%: Offer “interesting programs and events”
- 66%: Engender “more of a sense of community”
- 54%: Feature beautiful interiors
Art House patrons prefer the following genres:
- 78%: drama
- 74%: foreign/international films
- 70%: comedy
- 36%: horror
- 31% LGBTQIA+ interest
- 29%: experimental
Of the 58% of respondents who watch documentaries at their independent theaters, the most widely preferred documentary genres are:
- 80%: arts & culture
- 74%: biography
- 71%: history
- 66%: social issues
- 62%: music
63% of patrons say they would increase their indie moviegoing if their favorite theatres added “more special events with guests (filmmaker appearances, Q&A’s, discussion, etc.), while 34% wish there were more open caption screenings.
Indie audiences are more inclined to see a movie on “the big screen” instead of staying home because:
- 77%: The movie features the kind of imagery or sound that needs to be experienced on “the big screen”
- 65%: The movie is a previously released repertory title chosen by local programmers (or audience members) to showcase a filmmaker, classic film or film genre
- 58%: The movie can only be seen in theaters only (with no plans for streaming)
- 51%: The movie is screening in a special format (e.g. 35mm, 70mm, 3D, IMAX)
- 51%: The movie has been nominated for major awards or is an award winner
Top Grossing Art House Circuit Recent Releases (YTD with their PostTrak scores and ratings)
- Project Hail Mary 93 5★s
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 85 4½★s
- Marty Supreme 83 4½★
- Hamnet 90 5★s
- 2026 Oscar Nominated Shorts
- No Other Choice
- The Drama 76 3½★s
- Wuthering Heights 75 3½★s
- The Testament of Ann Lee
- Backrooms 72 3★s
Audiences Across the U.S. Are Hungry for Repertory Screenings
- 98% of art house moviegoers enjoy seeing repertory screenings at their preferred art house theater
- 45% of art house moviegoers would like to see a 50/50 mix of curated new releases and repertory screenings.
- 71% of respondents indicate they would attend their preferred art house theater more often if their theater expanded their schedule of “restored and remastered repertory films.”
A strong majority of those who attend repertory screenings in their preferred theaters would like to see:
- 81%: anniversary titles
- 73%: cult classics
- 69%: classic Hollywood
- 61%: restorations
Top-grossing repertory films at AHC member cinemas (according to Rentrak) include:
- It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
- Days and Nights in the Forest (1970)
- Yi Yi (2000)
- No Picnic (1986)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- When Harry Met Sally…(1989)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1996)
- Four Nights of a Dreamer (2012)
- Rashomon (1950)
- Die Hard (1988)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Shall We Dance? (1996)
- Casablanca (1942)
- The Big Lebowski (1998)
- Heat (1995)
According to survey responses, these are the films that moviegoers identified as their top art house picks, including a mix of new releases and repertory titles:.
- Project Hail Mary (2026)
- One Battle After Another (2025)
- Hamnet (2025)
- Sinners (2025)
- Oscar Nominated Shorts package (2026)
- No Other Land (2024)
- No Other Choice (2025)
- White Christmas (1954)
- Marty Supreme (2025)
- Sirat (2025)
- The Secret Agent (2025)
- Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Sentimental Value (2025)
- The Princess Bride (1987)
- The Christophers (2025)
- Frankenstein (2025)
- Hundreds of Beavers (2022)
Art Houses Continue to Engage New Audiences
- Nearly a quarter (24.9%) of all respondents first began attending their preferred art house within the last three years.
- The average age of these new art house moviegoers is 40, eleven years younger than the overall average of those surveyed, which is 51.
- 68% of recent attendees are younger than 45.
The top three reasons these younger, more recent attendees started going to their preferred art house theaters:
- 44% said “they were showing a movie I wanted to see”
- 31% had “recently moved (or moved back) to the area”
- 31% said they “attended with a friend, family member or other acquaintance “
These moviegoers rely on many sources of information in determining which movies they want to see in theaters. The most widely used are:
- 62%: Friends/family recommendations
- 61%: Emails from theaters
- 60%: Trailers or previews
- 58%: Movie reviews (print, online, etc.)
- 53%: Individual theater’s website or social presence
- 42%: Social Media Posts, specifically:
- 55%: Instagram
- 54% YouTube
- 43% Facebook
- 26%: Reddit
- 25%: Letterboxd
- 12%: Substack
Participating theaters include: Music Box Theatre, The Coolidge Corner Theatre, AFI Silver, The Heights Theater, Tampa Theatre, Amherst Cinema, Varsity Cinema / Des Moines Film, The Belcourt Theatre, The Historic Artcraft Theatre, AFS Cinema, Midtown Cinema, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, Brattle Theatre (Brattle Film Foundation), The Frida Cinema, Pickford Film Center, Greenbelt Cinema, Coral Gables Art Cinema, Denver Film/Sie FilmCenter, The Grand Cinema, Kiggins Theatre, Cinema Arts Centre, The Nightlight, FACETS, Cinestudio, The Byrd Theatre, Independent Picture House (IPH), The Rafael (Smith Rafael Film Center), Enzian Theater, The Chelsea Theater, MFAH Films (The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), The Loft Cinema, The Siskel Film Center, Vermont International Film Festival, West Newton Cinema, Film at Lincoln Center, Images Cinema, Onyx Theatre, Little Art Theatre, Film Streams, Park City Film, SIFF Cinema, The Iowa Theater, Capri Theatre, Cinema Salem, The Sequoia Cinema, Ragtag Cinema, Salt Lake Film Society, Sidewalk Cinema, Maine Film Center and Salina Art Center Cinema.
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