Cinemas

A cinema is a place where people go to watch movies.

Cinemas are most often commercial businesses, where people will pay to watch one or more movies in a single session. Cinemas are most often situated in buildings, however outdoor cinemas are popular in some areas, as are drive-in cinemas. Cinemas will most often screen highly popular new or classic movies, but are also used as venues for film festivals and similar events. Cinemas may operate as part of a large national chain, as part of a smaller semi-independent chain or, increasingly rarely, as an independent entity.

Large national cinema chains, commonly referred to as commercial cinemas or mulltiplexes, use their national coverage and buying power to obtain latest release movies ahead of or at the same time as their competitors. Such cinemas will hold hundreds of patrons in each theatre and will house multiple theatres in each cinema venue. Smaller chains will straddle the commercial cinema/art-house cinema divide and may show many of the same releases as large chains, but will also show small local and international independent films. These cinemas may have multiple theatres in each cinemas complex, but will generally have much smaller, more intimate theatres seating up to 100 people.

Art-house and classic cinemas will show and eclectic range of movies, some of which repeat on an annual basis and are the subject of intense fandom and cult followings. Outdoor and drive-in cinemas are popular in the summer months, and in holiday destinations and warmer climates year round.