July 28 and 29 saw 400 cinema industry professionals gather in Chicago for this year’s Art House Convergence (AHC) Convening. Hosted by AHS, the event was a way to keep the art house cinema community connected, informed, and inspired. Smaller in scale than the AHC and Film Festival Alliance’s biannual Independent Film Exhibition Conference (IND/EX), next taking place in the summer of 2026, the Convening nonetheless saw a diverse group of attendees—including cinema operators, owners, programmers, bookers, distributors, vendors, and more— from three continents gather to discuss the current state of the art house ecosystem, with filmmakers Sean Baker and Samantha Quan (Anora) on deck to deliver the keynote speech. Boxoffice Pro spoke with Kate Markham, AHC’s executive director, and Colton Campbell, AHC’s program coordinator, about some of the highlights from this year’s show.
What were some of the standout panels at this year’s event and what was some actionable advice that attendees walked away with that they might be able to implement day to day.
Kate Markham: We tried very hard to make sure that each session had an action item that could be feasibly implemented postconference, but based on the initial feedback from our attendees, there are some standouts:
We did some casual AMA (Ask Me Anything)-style sessions where we put an expert in various disciplines in a room and let them get grilled by attendees. Many thanks to those experts! The feedback so far from those sessions notes that they were really helpful and productive. I think sometimes being able to ask questions and have a conversation in person can lead to more productive outcomes than trying to figure it out on your own, watching tutorials online or, participating in never-ending email chains. I think it is also useful to note that if you have a question about something, odds are that someone else has the same question.
[Director of Development’ René Bouchard from the Cinema Arts Centre [in Huntington, New York] delivered a presentation on “How to Make People Do What You Want” at IND/EX last year. It was reviewed so well that she came back to do another iteration at the AHC Convening titled “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.” René’s depth of understanding about just how many stakeholders there are in a cinema or arts organization, what their motivations are, and how leaders can bring all those threads together to maintain an organization is really special. Her presentations can really help you reframe the story of your operation and how you can create a cohesive team.
“Addressing Invisible Inaccessibility” was well-responded to as well, covering things from adapting for neurodivergent audiences, accessible bathrooms in terms of gender or special needs, and seat sizes. These are things that are not at the forefront of what we think about when we think about how to make our facilities more accessible to both audiences and our staff.
And not a panel or session, but there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback for the trade show. It was noted many times how nice it was to meet people you have only emailed with or talked to on the phone and spend some time with them.
Outside of programming, what were some of the main topics of conversation at the show? I know earlier in the year a lot of nonprofits were hit with news of their grants possibly being rescinded.
Kate Markham: There is definitely some anxiety about funding and fundraising for nonprofits, about staying afloat in general, as costs have increased across the board for all cinemas in regards to day-to-day operations. There is also a lot of hope for the present and future. A lot of conversations revolved around the support of our audiences, and how in light of some organizations losing their funding, the cinemas’ communities stepped up and helped fill that gap and let the cinemas know how much those defunded programs meant to them. We are also seeing more Gen Z audience members who are excited about cinemagoing. It has been a delicate balance between anxiety and hope for a number of years now, but we persist. We all love film and cinemas and will continue to find a way.
Art House Theater Day was on July 24, the sixth one. How has it grown/changed since that first year?
Colton Campbell: This year was the first year we had two things: official AHTD ambassadors (Sean Baker and Samantha Quan) and a Programming Fellowship (Alan McKenzie and Zenzelé Clark) where our fellows worked under the guidance of two mentors (Ben Delgado from FilmScene and Stephanye Watts from Be Reel Black Cinema Club) to curate the official program. We made strides in providing content to participating cinemas, including preshow reels, Q&A recordings, etc. Over 100 cinemas across the U.S. (and Canada and Spain) participated in 2025.
Kate Markham: We were delighted to see that there were surprise appearances from the AJ Goes to the Dog Park filmmakers and Lily Tomlin at cinemas on Art House Theater Day and also to see cinemas bring their communities together on this day to celebrate independent cinemas. In a time where social media can sometimes lead to dread, it was incredibly heartwarming to see what was happening across the country on Art House Theater Day on social media.
What were some of the topics that Sean Baker and Samantha Quan touched on in their keynote?
Colton Campbell: Theatrical windows increasing to prioritize cinemas over streamers. Working with independent distributors continually. Making independent films. Feeling inspired by Gen Z getting back to the cinemas. The importance of cinemas that screen more than just first-run film, like hosting festivals, rep screenings, etc. Leaning into celluloid.
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