Art House Patrons Remain Loyal, New Study Shows

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Thu, 10/03/2019 - 12:11 -- Nick Dager

A new study reports that art house movie patrons greatly value their local theatres and show that both with their attendance and their money. For the sixth consecutive year, the Art House Convergence, a trade organization, partnered with Avenue ISR to learn more about art house audiences in the U.S  

Some key findings in the study include the fact that 65 percent of patrons report that their art house theatre is “extremely” or “very” valuable to their overall quality of life. A full 67 percent of patrons indicate their favored art house “provides artistic inspiration for many.” And, a positive sign for the future, the art house community appears to be effective at winning over younger audiences. These results are even more dramatic this year than in previous years. Millennials are the most likely to report watching more movies in movie theaters than two years prior.

In all the research covered 50 theatres and film organizations, including film festivals, and 22,500 patrons from 43 states and provinces.

Other findings include: on average 60 percent of cinema organizations' revenue is contributed; cinemas earn a greater percentage of revenue from fundraising events than their peers in the performing arts; and smaller organizations have greater fundraising efficiency.

Since 2013, average movies seen per year in art houses has trended upward and then held steady. The survey showed that art house patrons see an average of 35 movies in a movie theatre each year.

The top five art house movies for 2018 were:

1. RGB

2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor

3. Free Solo

4. Blackkklansman

5. Three Identical Strangers

Art house patrons are well educated, high-income with a large percentage of women, who still tend to make many household purchase decisions. The art house patron population tends to be relatively older and relatively less diverse, compared to the country as a whole.