Kino Lorber, a leader in the world of art house distribution, has announced that it is launching KINO MARQUEE, a virtual theatrical exhibition initiative to enable movie theaters shuttered by the coronavirus outbreak to continue to serve their audiences and generate revenue in this difficult time. It will also allow viewers support their local theaters financially and view the films digitally.

All screenings will open with Kino Lorber title BACURAU (which would otherwise now be on screen in each venue). The film was directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2019, and went on to play Toronto and New York Film Festivals to much acclaim.

Kino Marquee has been designed to emulate the moviegoing experience as much as possible. Films will be booked from Fridays to Thursdays and presented on dedicated web pages headed by each theater’s branded marquee. Virtual “ticket” buyers from the theater’s Kino Marquee site will receive a link that gives them admission to an online screening room, and virtual  “holdovers” will be determined by performance, and revenue will be split between distributor and exhibitor. Each theater will promote its own film page via traditional means, including reviews, e-blasts and social media posts.

The Kino Marquee program plans to initiate virtual releases with participating theaters until theaters are able to reopen, and is rapidly expanding with invitations going to all sixty theaters across the country: