Imagine Cinemas, a downtown Toronto cinema, had to cancel screenings of the movie ‘Tony’ by Canadian director Matt Johnson as the film’s distributor, A24, unexpectedly withdrew access. The cancellation was attributed to a long-standing practice in Canada that controls which theaters can premiere movies first.
Stefan Kern, the director of operations at Imagine Cinemas, revealed that A24 decided to pull the film due to a clearance issue. This issue arises when another theater in close geographic proximity is already showing the film, leading the distributor to withhold it from other theaters like the Carlton.
The ‘zone system’ in Canada has been a bone of contention for independent theaters, where only one theater in a specific area is granted access to a new release. Sonya Yokota William, the director of the Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors, explained that this system originated in the era of limited film prints, favoring larger chains like Cineplex.
Cineplex’s dominant position in the Canadian market, capturing 75% of the box office revenue and owning over half of the country’s movie screens, has skewed the distribution landscape. This market concentration incentivizes distributors to prioritize Cineplex over independent theaters for new releases.
A recent survey conducted by Yokota William’s organization revealed that most independent cinemas had to wait for Cineplex to complete screenings before being allowed to show the same film. This practice, as highlighted by the Rio Theatre in a petition against the zone system, poses challenges for independently owned theaters.
While Cineplex declined to comment on the zone system or the ‘Tony’ screenings at Carlton, they emphasized that film distributors have the authority to choose where their movies are screened. Currently, ‘Tony’ is being shown at two Cineplex locations near the Carlton.
Despite the challenges, Kern refrained from directly implicating Cineplex in the ‘Tony’ cancellations, urging patrons to voice concerns to A24, Matt Johnson, or the Competition Bureau regarding unfair business practices in Canadian theatrical distribution. Yokota William hopes that shedding light on this issue will lead to its eventual eradication through increased awareness and advocacy efforts.
