When I ran into John Fithian, the CEO and President of the National As
When I ran into John Fithian on the third day of this year’s CineEurope he was wearing a pained expression. I figured, like me, the CEO and President of the National Association of Theatre Owners was jet-lagged and worn down from running all over the CCIB in Barcelona attending back-to-back meetings, seminars and studio presentations.
When I asked him how he was doing he responded, “I’m so done.”
“With CineEurope?” I inquired. “There’s just one day left so you’re almost done.”
“No, I mean I’m so done with this job,” said Fithian with a bit of mock frustration. Anyone who has attended a hectic cinema industry trade show can sympathize and has reached that same mental state on more than one occasion. Possibly even more than once at the same event.
Yet with Fithian there was many a truth being said in jest. We had spoken a couple of times over the COVID pandemic and he mentioned retiring in the not too distant future. Fithian explained that he hadn’t lost his love the of the cinema business nor had fighting for exhibitors during the pandemic worn him down. He wasn’t seeking a new career opportunity. He just wanted to retire while he was still young enough to enjoy life, his family and travel. Who could blame him?
So when NATO announced last week that Fithian would be retiring on 1 May 2023 it wasn’t a complete surprise to me or, as I soon learned, most of the cinema industry. His pending retirement had become a bit of an open secret in the business, even if everyone, like me, thought it would happen eventually, you know, at some point over the next five years. Next year was never really a serious consideration.
In announcing his retirement Fithian said he would leave it to others to summarize his career at NATO, so we thought we’d jump on what is sure to become a trend by next May listing but a few of his accomplishments at the risk of leaving just as many out.
A good percentage of us have never worked in the cinema industry when Fithian wasn’t the head of NATO. During his 30 year tenure the Motion Picture Association has had four different leaders, Disney has had three different chief executives, both Warner Bros. and Universal had three different owners, AMC has had three different owners and Regal was formed by combining three bankrupt circuits. During this same period, thanks to operators like Alamo Drafthouse, theatre owners went from selling popcorn, candy and soda at concession stands to serving burgers and beer at patrons’ seats.
When Fithian first started working with NATO the domestic market accounted for 70% of annual box office and international scooped up 30%, figures that are now reversed. Though maybe the biggest development came just seven years into his time at the organization, when in 1999 Texas Instruments introduced digital projectors which over the next decade would essentially replace the technology that had been used to show movies in cinemas for over 100 years. Fithian fought for exhibitors’ needs during the digital transition, helping make sure operators were able to get the required equipment and stay in business. In hindsight, change seems to be one of the major constants for Fithian during his reign at NATO.
Fithian was also instrumental in bringing NATO’s annual trade show back in-house in 2010 after it was managed by ShoWest for decades. He wisely put Mitch Neuhauser and Matt Pollock in charge of what would become CinemaCon.
This is not to say there weren’t a few stumbles along the way. Like the time Fithian went to the Art House Convergence conference in Utah to give an address to independent cinema owners, arthouses and non-profits; all constituents who, in the midst of the digital cinema rollout, felt NATO overlooked them. Fithian’s speech was not well received, but instead of letting the problem fester, he and his capable team at NATO swiftly went on a successful campaign to patch up the relationship.
The pandemic only served to prove NATO’s unwavering support for independent cinemas when, along with the Independent Cinema Alliance, Fithian’s team, including Jackie Brenneman and Esther Baruh, helped secure USD $5 billion in emergency funding through shuttered venue operators grants (SVOG). I’ll never forget how, while preparing to participate in one of our CJ Cinema Summits back in 2021 Fithian was glued to his phone. As he tapped away at a furious speed I asked what he was doing and he said, “Some of the language in the SVOG portion of the stimulus bill won’t work well, so I’m rewriting it.” Talk about multi-tasking.
The generally positive outcomes NATO has been able to orchestrate during Fithian’s time there is why, since news of his retirement became official, I’ve been asked repeatedly if I had any thoughts about who might take over his role in the organization. The good news is that there are plenty of capable candidates in NATO itself, including Brenneman. Of course, she was just made President of The Cinema Foundation and may not want to leave so quickly. Then there is always the current chairman of NATO, Rolando Rodriguez, who just retired from Marcus Theatres as its CEO.
Thankfully, the decision isn’t up to me, as it is in the hands of NATO’s executive board. The one thing I can accurately predict is that whoever the board selects will have some mighty big shoes to fill.
People
John Fithian To Retire From NATO in 2023
John Fithian, the CEO and President of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) announced he would be retiring from the organization on 1 May 2023.
Fithian’s retirement marks the end of thirty years of service to the association. Initially engaged as outside counsel to NATO in 1992, Fithian assumed the presidency in 2000, at the beginning of a period of profound change in the industry (see attachment).
In announcing his retirement Fithian said “….my highest goal was always to leave this organization and this industry stronger and more effective than I found it – and more importantly – to ensure that it remains strong and effective after I am gone. The professional and experienced staff I leave behind and the culture of service we have built together is a legacy to be proud of.”
NATO’s Executive Board has begun a search process for Fithian’s successor.
Source: Celluloid Junkie
Movies
Netflix Cinema Release to Include Vue and Cineworld
The cinema release of “Glass Onion: a Knives Out Mystery” will include a release across the United Kingdom and much of Europe through Vue International and Cineworld Cinemas. The exclusive one-week “sneak” release of the film ahead of its streaming premiere was previously confirmed for the United States with the participation of AMC, Cineworld-owned Regal and Cinemark. Now a UK release has also been confirmed for two of the three biggest chains, with discussions ongoing for additional European territories.
Tickets for the release are already on sale and being promoted by Vue and Cineworld, while AMC-owned Odeon also lists the film but has not started selling tickets. The film is the closing night title for the 66th BFI London Film Festival. All three chains had previously refused to screen Netflix films on account of a short theatrical release window, leaving smaller chains such as Everyman and Curzon as the biggest outlet for titles from streamers such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Sky. Tim Richards, head of Vue and also Chair of the BFI, has indicated that similar deals and arrangements could be announced soon with Apple and Amazon Prime Video.
Discussions are said to be underway for Vue to release the film in its cinemas in Italy (The Space) and Germany (CinemaxX), though no mention of Vue’s cinemas in The Netherlands or elsewhere. Similarly there is no word on where Cineworld might show “Glass Onion,” apart from UK and US. Odeon has also not announced any European-wide plans. Everyman is selling tickets for the movie in the UK, but there is no listing (yet) from Curzon. With Netflix having stated that it will release the much-anticipated sequel in 600 cinemas around the world, there is a fear that smaller cinemas will be left out, though this has been denied in private conversations with people familiar with the discussions between Netflix and cinemas.
Source: Variety
Marketing & Promotions
TikTok to Offer Movie Trailers and Showtimes
The short-form video service TikTok announced some updates to its app last week through a blog post. The platform is beloved by adolescents and the bane of existence for parents. The addictive app may have finally found a way to be useful, at least to studios and movie theatres, who will soon be able to use it to spread the word about upcoming and current titles.
TikTok is in introducing a new native solution they’ve dubbed Showtimes that allows distributors to showcase full-length trailers to generate interest and then seamlessly provides showtimes and theater information based on the users’ location. TikTok will drive users to ticketing partners to complete any purchases.
Presumably, TikTok has partnered with the ticketing companies to collect a referral fee and/or is selling ad campaigns to studios, or double dipping by doing both.
Source: TikTok
Box Office
Indian Cinema Market Lacks Bollywood Hits
The Indian cinema market has had a mixed 2022, with the notable failure of Bollywood would-be blockbusters, mitigated somewhat by South Indian film hits. As the world’s largest cinema market in terms of tickets sold and films produced each year (around 1,600), the country has historically depended on Hindi-language hits. While cinema attendance and revenue has bounced back since the pandemic, this has not been driven by films from the Bollywood industry in Mumbai.
Out of more than 50 films released in the last year only about one-fifth have met or exceeded revenue targets, according to media analyst Karan Taurani of Elara Capital. Pre-pandemic this figure was closer to 50%. Notable failures include three back-to-back films from previously bankable star Akshay Kumar and the “Forrest Gump” remake by Aamir Khan. This contrasts sharply with the success of South Indian (primarily Tamil and Telugu language) films, such as “RRR” and “Pushpa: The Rise.” Tellingly half the box office takings of Hindi-language films from January to August 2022 have been Hindi-dubbed releases of South Indian films. Part of the failure of Bollywood films is blamed on the rise of streaming, with both local and international SVOD operators adopting a very lows monthly fee to capture a large audience.
While Bollywood film makers are soul searching about what it is with their films that fail to connect with audiences, there is a glimmer on the horizon, at least for India’s second largest cinema chain. Inox Leisure Limited has signed an agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to show India’s international cricket matches live in their cinemas during the ICC T20I World Cup, starting with the match against arch rival Pakistan on 23 October. INOX is in the process of merging with its larger rival PVR. If there is anything that has bigger proven built in appeal than Bollywood films to the average Indian it is the game of cricket.
Source: New Straits Times
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