Given the Delta outbreak and the impact on cinemas around the country, the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) will move from October to February.
The decision to postpone was a joint one between NACO (National Association of Cinema Operators Australasia) and presenting partners MPDAA (Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia), Roadshow Films and AIDA (Australian Independent Distributors Association).
The event will continue to be held at Sydney’s The State Theatre as planned, moving to February 8-10, 2022.
“The postponement is required to protect the health and wellbeing of delegates, staff, and affiliates,” said NACO executive chairman Michael Hawkins.
“We are focussed on delivering a successful event that allows film distributors to present their upcoming slates and excite cinema exhibitors. Even though this will be a very different convention from previous years, it is possibly the most important one, as the calibre of movies ready to release is phenomenal and our convention allows the industry collaboration needed to deliver the incredible big screen experience to our customers.”
MPDAA executive director Lori Flekser agreed: “We all understand this will not be like a convention of the past and that there will be a greater consciousness of cost and time, but the show must go on.
“The MPDAA distributors – Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros – fully support holding the best version of the AIMC we can possibly make to remind us that we offer the finest out of home product in the finest venues. And, after 18 months of being battered, this will be the event we can all look forward to with hope and optimism.”