8:00 AM
Fancy a latte? Hit up North Village Coffee Co. on the first and second floor for a complimentary full service coffee bar to jump start your day. Open through 11AM.
Agile Help Desk
8:00AM - 5:00PM | Agile Registration Hub, VenueSIX10
Art House Convergence Townhall
9:00AM - 10:15 AM | Room 421 | VenueSIX10
The AHC Town Hall is an open session to share the most pressing issues facing your theaters and organizations with the AHC board, staff, and each other. We want to hear where you’re experiencing the greatest needs and what issues you believe AHC should prioritize as we look to the future.
DIY Your DCP (Ops, Programming)
9:00AM - 10:30 AM | Room 313 | VenueSIX10
DCP creation can be scary, but with open-source tools and a bit of know-how you can develop the skills to do it yourself. This session is hands-on, bring a laptop (PC or Mac).
Accessibility Flash Sessions (Ops)
9:00AM - 10:30 AM | Room 707 | VenueSIX10
Technology and other advances are paving the way for new levels of accessibility at a lower cost. ReelAbilities Film Festival brings accessibility to new heights using new forms of productivity tools that make film screenings more available to all and build a new audience. Learn from ReelAbilities' CEO about standards and practices.
Curtains Up! Building a Tech-Friendly Pre-Show (Marketing)
9:00AM - 10:30 AM | Room 314 | VenueSIX10
You work so hard on your pre-show ads, slides, and trailers, and yet they still come out blurry and distorted! Come learn from a theater tech how to build a tech-friendly pre-show all the way from idea to delivery.
Reframing the Moviegoing Experience Through a Trauma-Informed Lens (Programming, Ops, Marketing)
9:15AM - 10:30 AM | Room 721 | VenueSIX10
As conversations around accessibility and audience care continue to evolve, what can the film industry learn from the health and human services fields about becoming more trauma-informed? This session explores how principles rooted in empathy, safety, and awareness can be applied to cinema programming and the overall moviegoing experience.
Beyond the Theater - Pop-Up Cinema and Non-Traditional Exhibition Spaces
9:15AM - 10:30 AM | Room 711 | VenueSIX10
Cinema doesn’t have to live within four walls. From rooftop screenings and park series to storefront pop-ups and mobile projection, non-traditional exhibitions are expanding how and where audiences experience film. This panel brings together innovators working outside (and alongside) traditional venues to explore the creative, logistical, and financial realities of pop-up cinema. Panelists will share insights on site selection, permitting, technical setups, audience development, and partnerships, as well as how these models can serve as testing grounds for new markets or extensions of existing theaters. Whether you’re looking to activate underutilized spaces or take your programming on the road, this conversation will offer practical strategies and fresh inspiration.
Film Festival Alliance Town Hall
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Room 711 | VenueSIX10
Join us for a Film Festival Alliance Town Hall — a chance to connect with the FFA community, meet our new Executive Director, and look ahead together. We'll discuss current and future membership benefits, revisit the Film Festival Best Practices, and open up a conversation about what's next for film festivals navigating an ever-evolving landscape. Whether you're a longtime member or just getting acquainted with FFA, this is a space to ask questions, share perspectives, and help shape the road ahead
UX? U What?! (Marketing, Ops)
11:00 AM -12:15 PM | Room 314 | VenueSIX10
UX impacts you and your cinema everyday. Learn what it is, why it matters, and how it can work for you. UX (short for user experience) is how people experience your website and how well (or not) it works for them. What is a person’s visit to your website like? Can they find the information they need? How easy is it to locate showtimes and purchase a ticket? Join or renew membership? Find a phone number, address, or hours of operations? And critically, is your website blocking people from coming to your cinema? This workshop will show you how to approximate the customer experience on your website, what works, what doesn’t, and how to maximize the conversion between website visits and butts in seats. Bring your laptop and a smart phone and prepare to bare your web-soul in a peer review.
Programming Public Domain & Archival Titles: Navigating Use, Restorations, and Rights (Programming, Marketing)
11:00 AM -12:30 PM | Room 711 | VenueSIX10
On the surface, public domain can seem straightforward but in practice, there are important nuances that can significantly impact how archival and historical media is used, screened, and distributed. This session will unpack the complexities that often trip up programmers, filmmakers, and curators working with older or archival works. Explore key questions such as: What actually qualifies as public domain, and how can that status change over time? A film itself may be in the public domain, while a later restoration, remaster, or newly added score may still be protected under copyright. How do those rights affect what you can legally show or use? We will examine sources for finding public domain films and other archival materials, along with practical guidance for evaluating what is safe to use.
Where FOMO Meets Film (Programming, Marketing)
11:15 AM -12:30 PM | Room 721 | VenueSIX10
Attention is hard to earn, and easier to lose. This panel explores how cinemas and festivals can cut through the noise, energize their audiences, and become the hottest spots in town. In this session, hear many small or large ways you can build and retain your viewers through memorable branding, activated screenings, and audience engagement. Expect fresh ideas, candid insights, and actionable strategies to help you create experiences people can’t wait to be a part of.