Streaming won’t sink cinemas: leaders

LAS VEGAS Two film industry leaders told theatre owners they ’re optimistic about the movie business, despite concerns about declining attendance and competition from streaming services.

New Motion Picture Association of America chief Charles Rivkin and John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, delivered state-of-theindustry speeches Tuesday at CinemaCon, saying the strength of the movies being released will dictate box-office sales.

CinemaCon is an annual gathering of theatre owners and exhibitors, during which they get a preview of upcoming films as well as the latest theatrical technologies and concession options.

Rivkin said 263 million people went to the movies at least once in North America in 2017 — more than three quarters of the North American population. He noted that while the box office was slightly down from the record in 2016, it was on par with the 2015 record. He says he believes the market will always move between record-high or near record years.

He also stressed that he would continue to fight to protect intellectual property with anti-piracy efforts. Film and television account for $16.5 billion (all figures U.S.) in exports, he said, and the industry supports 2.1 million jobs and $139 billion in wages annually.

“Let’s always deliver on the promise of our creative industry: high quality stories that speak to the hopes and dreams of our audience, and will continue to do so for generations to come,” Rivkin said.

Fithian also applauded filmmakers and distributors for “taking significant steps to achieve more diversity and positive representation on the big screen,” which he says their consumers are “demanding.”

“We are optimistic that 2017 and 2018 will one day be viewed as a turning point on this front,” Fithian said.