Independent Movie Theaters as Cultural Institutions – Toward a Sociology of Cinema Management
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21636973 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ringo Rösener (0000-0002-4333-4217, Leipzig University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-22 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Arts Management Law and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1063-2921 • E-ISSN: 1930-7799 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10632921.2025.2593379 |
| OpenAlex | W4416834141 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
Over the past 25 years, movie theaters have undergone profound changes. They are no longer merely extensions of distributors or studios, nor simply venues for screening newly released films. Instead, many cinemas have evolved into independent cultural institutions with their own programming strategies and curatorial responsibilities. This paper explores what these changes mean for both cultural management studies and the management of independent movie theaters in Germany. Drawing on a qualitative research approach, five group discussions with a total of 28 theater managers were conducted. Two main questions guided the inquiry: What is a cinema today? And: How do cinema managers describe their work? The findings reveal that independent theater managers see themselves as untrained but creative individuals. They emphasize the importance of curating film programs while acting as all-rounders in their daily operations. At the same time, they navigate economic uncertainty as risk managers striving for greater autonomy and stability. The study thus shows that independent movie theaters face similar tensions as other cultural institutions operating within what Pierre Bourdieu has described as the cultural field – marked by the ongoing struggle between autonomy and external constraints
Cultural institution · Institution · Movie theater · Sociology of culture · Cinema and Media Studies · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Theater, Performance, and Music History
| Highly cited | No |
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