The Current When was the last time you went to the movies?
Mar 12, 2026
Melly Gumish, a producer and avid moviegoer who studies film-going habits, explores why fewer people visit theatres. She discusses streaming's effect on release windows and convenience. They cover cost and marketing challenges, how cinemas create collective, memorable experiences, and local theatres' struggles and creative survival strategies.
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Melly's Avatar Moment Sparked Lifelong Theater Habit
- Melly Gumish fell in love with theaters after seeing Avatar at nine and now aims for two cinema visits monthly.
- She says last year she saw about 30 films on the big screen, making her an outlier among Canadians.
Streaming Shrunk Theatrical Exclusivity
- Streaming shortened theatrical windows and made subscription retention more valuable than box office revenue.
- Tirta Dar explains streamers now push films to platforms within weeks, reducing exclusivity that once drove theater attendance.
Canadian Moviegoing Nearly Halved
- Average Canadian ticket purchases dropped from three per person in 2019 to 1.6 in 2024.
- Melly Gumish cites Telefilm Canada's study showing nearly half the per-person movie attendance vanished since the pandemic.