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Programming from several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK.

Gower Street data shows that cinemas representing 48% of the global box office were open over the past weekend. That figure is up from 41% a week earlier, and a significant leap from 28% on July 18, before Chinese cinemas returned to activity.

Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill is still offering snacks and meals in both the theater auditoriums and lounge areas at the chain’s nine locations that are currently open. With the “grill” concept at the forefront of their brand, the chain is taking precautions to make sure customers can continue to drink and dine, and finding new revenue streams with private theater rentals. Studio Movie Grill began reopening locations in Georgia, Florida and Texas in late June at 50% capacity — all states that saw surges in coronavirus cases over the summer. Staff are required to undergo a health check prior to starting their shift and wear face masks and other protective gear.

Ava DuVernay is making sure Angelenos can take a safe (and free) trip to the movies. For a special two-night pop-up event, DuVernay’s non-profit cinema and social justice organization Array Alliance will present “Selena” and “Purple Rain” on a 40-foot screen in Downtown Los Angeles. “Selena,” which celebrates the life and tragic death of singer Selena Quintanilla and earned Jennifer Lopez a Golden Globe nomination, will screen on Friday, Aug. 14. “Purple Rain,” which marked Prince’s big-screen debut before going on to win an Oscar for best original score, is featured on Saturday, Aug. 15. The event will be held at Los Angeles Center Studios in L.A.’s Historic Filipinotown/Westlake neighborhood. Tickets are free with advance registration online at Array Drive-In and will be issued one per car, with admittance on a first-come,

On July 1, as COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles began to surge to their highest numbers since the city issued stay-at-home orders in March, the University of Southern California (USC) alerted its students that all fall undergraduate classes would move online. Days later, on July 6, the administration at the university’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) echoed the order, informing its physical production students that fall production classes, save for one graduate level course, would move online. “We are essentially being asked to pay full tuition to make a home movie,” says a junior at SCA.

A new documentary about the American Civil Liberties Union, The Fight, which Magnolia and Topic Studios are releasing in theaters and on demand July 31, offers up a real-life Avengers starring a group of lovably nerdy civil rights attorneys. The Fight follows ACLU attorneys Brigitte Amiri, Joshua Block, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho and  Chase Strangio as they pursue high-stakes cases on reproductive, LGBT, immigrant and voting rights. Over the course of three years, The Fight follows the attorneys as they meet with vulnerable clients, prepare to argue in the Supreme Court and juggle work and family demands.