Day 1
Today, over 350 Cinema United members came together at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles for the annual Fall Summit.
The day began with Committee meetings, which included the first gathering of the Future Leaders of Cinema Committee (FLIC). Led by Cinema United’s Chief of Staff Amanda Martin, FLIC is a two-year program focused on leadership development, education, and industry engagement.
Independent theatre owners gathered for an Independent Theatre Owners Coalition (ITOC) seminar developed by ITOC leaders Lauren McChesney, Becky Dupuis, and Cinema United’s Director of Government Relations and Independent Theatre Owner Engagement Todd Halstead. The seminar included a panel on building experiences and revenue beyond the box office with Brandt Gully of The Springs Cinema & Taphouse, Cal Donnelly from Rokt, and Craig Chapin from Golden Link Inc. as well as one on using events to build audiences year-round with The Belcourt’s Stephanie Silverman, Seattle International Film Festival’s Beth Barrett, and Becky Dupuis from Polson Theatres. Film Frog’s Danielle Hawthorne Jones moderated both panels.
In the evening, attendees enjoyed a screening of Song Sung Blue from Focus Features at AMC’s Century City location with CJ 4D Plex/Screen X graciously sponsoring. CJ 4D Plex’s Duncan MacDonald spoke about the exciting growth at his company as they establish more relationships with the creative community and add more screens across the country. AMC’s CEO Adam Aron spoke about how important Focus’ contributions to the theatrical landscape are. Focus’ President of Distribution Lisa Bunnell introduced the film, which she said was originally slated as a 2026 entry, but was moved to a coveted Christmas release date after great test screenings.
Day 2
The morning began with Cinema United’s General Membership Meeting and Advisory Board meeting, during which the association provided a membership update, honored members who recently passed away, discussed recent accomplishments, and shared future goals. The meetings were followed by a Q&A session with Cinema United President/CEO Michael O’Leary.
In the afternoon, the Young Members Community X Film Row seminar featured an inspiring and candid discussion with Nikkole Denson-Randolph, AMC’s SVP & Chief Content Officer. Nikkole talked about her career journey and provided advice to people who are early in their careers in exhibition.
Attendees were treated to an evening on the Paramount lot for a reception sponsored by Dolby Laboratories and a screening of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man.
Day 3
Wednesday was full of education seminars at the Fall Summit.
Investing in Ourselves: Designing Cinema Experiences That Deliver
Moderated by Cinema United President & CEO Michael O’Leary, the panel provided valuable insights from Harkins Theatres’ Mike Bowers, Real D’s Elizabeth Frank, Dolby Laboratories’ Jed Harmsen, and Chris Armer from GastingerWalker&.
There is a lot of investment happening every day at cinemas both big and small as the exhibition industry continues to invest with confidence in its future.
CU Close-Ups
Celebration Cinema by Studio C’s Cindy Sowerwine and Penn Cinema’s Penn Ketchum delivered two strong presentations to their fellow Cinema United members. Cindy’s focused on how to track the real-world impact of marketing on various channels, and Penn’s presentation walked through the entire experience of adding a bar to his location in Lititz, Pa.
Building A Community, Not Just a Fanbase: A Conversation with Lisa Milner Goldberg, VP, Public Relations, Angel City Football Club
Lisa shared insights on how she has helped Angel City Football Club stand out in the crowded sports market in Los Angeles.
Beyond Popcorn: Building a Branded Experience
The Coca-Cola Company’s Josh Nations moderated a panel with Cineplex’s Sara Moore, Cinergy Entertainment’s Traci Hanlon, and Meta’s Joana Delgado focused on how in an era of limitless content and digital noise, a strong brand is no longer a luxury. The panelists offered clear takeaways to attendees on how to build their own brand.
Activating Fandom: Strategic Tools for Theatrical Engagement
With the help of a diverse panel–ComicCon’s David Glanzer, Marcus Corporations’ Greg Marcus, Fathom’s Shannah Miller, and NRG’s Fergus Navaratnam-Blair–moderator Matthew Liebmann from Vista Group dived into the various ways that all the panelists connect with niche groups to bring them out to theatres. From impactful social posts to developing strong repertory screenings, cinemas are getting better every day at creating enticing programming for specific audiences.
The day closed with a lively focus-group discussion featuring Gen Z moviegoers organized by NRG.
Day 4
With the support of The Walt Disney Company, A24, Directors Guild of America, Vista Group, and Mobile Moviegoing, Thursday gave Fall Summit attendees another chance to see two upcoming films from the diverse fall/holiday slate: Searchlight’s Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and A24’s Eternity.
Movie theatres succeed when there is something for everyone, and that is definitely the case for the rest of 2025 & beyond.
