The Dark Corners of the Canadian Cinema Market The cancellation of screenings for Matt Johnson's "Tony" at Toronto's Carlton cinema has exposed a decades old practice in Canada: the unofficial zone system.
This unwritten rule allows film distributors to grant exclusive access to new releases only to one theatre in each area, stifling competition and limiting opportunities for independent cinemas.
This system is a relic of the past, when studios produced limited film prints and theatres had to compete for them.