A group of Korean independent filmmakers and moviegoers is trying to change the unusually short theatrical life of smaller films through a campaign called ‘Slow Cinema.’ The basic idea is simple: when a film loses its regular commercial screenings, interested viewers can help fund a theater rental and create an additional screening themselves.
The initiative responds to a structural problem for independent cinema. SBS reported that films which took years to make can disappear from even limited theatrical schedules after only two or three weeks, regardless of whether they continue to find interested audiences later. Under the Slow Cinema model, filmmakers and viewers organize screenings after the original run has ended instead of treating the first weeks of release as the final chance to see a title in a cinema. One participating director said her film had already been shown through around 60 rental screenings after its regular run, with most selling out.
The movement is also trying to preserve a meaningful theatrical window. Producers of three participating films said they intend to continue slow, audience-driven cinema screenings and avoid moving the films to OTT platforms until at least the end of 2026. If the model proves sustainable, it could give Korean independent films a longer route to audiences and reduce the industry’s dependence on opening-week schedules and rapid streaming releases.