Los Angeles Arthouses Faces Uphill Battle After Latest High-Profile Closing
Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe looming closure of Landmark Theatres’ Pico location is a significant loss for L.A.’s independent movie scene, which was already sorely missing the shuttered ArcLight Hollywood. Getting art-house audiences to return to cinemas has been challenging as COVID-19 variants have swept the country, and now the question is whether the city that makes movies has enough theaters to show all kinds of titles — not just blockbusters.For moviegoers on the west side of Los Angeles, there was something special about the Landmark Pico, whose 12 screens programmed a wide variety of mostly independent and foreign films, along with industry screenings and panels.“Around the country, including in Los Angeles, there are just fewer theaters and fewer screens than there were before the pandemic,” says Jasper Basch, IFC Films and IFC Midnight head of theatrical distribution.