In the afternoon of its second day, the NEXT Pavilion opened its doors to GATHR Films' Richard Matson, who stepped in to illustrate to the audience his company's disruptive core business, Theatrical on Demand (ToD).

This brand-new service allows viewers to decide what, when and where to screen, thus “eventising” a simple night out at the movies with family and friends.

“GATHR Films is all about audience-driven movie screenings,” began Matson. “All you have to do is choose your favourite film, your guests and a theatre near you, and let us do the rest.”

In terms of marketing, this three-year-old company tries to reach as many partners as possible, in order to spread the word about the latest films acquired. It will then be up to the “movie captain” to show his or her interest and set up the screening.

“It takes guts to be a movie captain,” laughed Matson, “as you're responsible for the quality of what your guests will watch. But if the film night turns out to be a failure, nobody loses any money, at least. In fact, the screening takes place only when enough people reserve tickets before the time expires. If not, no one is charged. On the other hand, if the night is a success for the captains, it is as well for both the filmmakers and the distributors, as it's a way to achieve a large theatrical distribution without losing any money.”

What is ToD in one phrase, then? “A new way to get the audience excited about the theatrical experience.”