Ask an exhibitor which night of the week they would happily give away and the answer is Monday. The weekend tentpoles have had their run, the midweek promotions have not started, and the auditorium sits mostly empty.
That empty auditorium is the whole opportunity. A venue with nothing booked has every reason to open its doors to a film that would otherwise never get a screen, in front of an audience that would otherwise never be in the same room.
Making it the same night everywhere turns a screening into a ritual. Members know where they are on Monday. Filmmakers know their film plays in hundreds of rooms at once instead of trickling out over months. Venues get a standing reason to fill seats on their quietest night.
Fifty two Mondays. Fifty two films. One night the whole club shares.
