Art House Theater Day 2026

(March 17, 2026 Chicago, IL) – Art House Convergence (AHC) announced that acclaimed director, activist, screenwriter, producer, poet, rapper, and speaker Boots Riley will serve as the official ambassador for its annual Art House Theater Day (AHTD), which takes place at theaters across North America on Thursday, July 30th. Riley, whose hotly anticipated new film, I Love Boosters, premiered at SXSW on March 12th and hits theaters May 22nd, has long been a champion of independent and art house theaters, and their value for audiences and filmmakers alike. His acclaimed feature directorial debut Sorry to Bother You will be included in the AHTD slate as an official repertory selection.

2026 marks the seventh Art House Theater Day, an annual program that brings a series of new and classic independent films to theaters across the country to celebrate the art house community and its commitment to preserving the power of cinematic storytelling and the theatrical experience. “Art house cinemas are community spaces and we need to make sure they remain a cultural staple where people get to experience art and chop it up together, organize and move things forward. Isolation created by streaming is a part of what allows fascism to grow and the reason why shared spaces are good for humanity,” said Riley. “Art House Theater Day is a party you don’t wanna miss. It’s a cinema party!”

In 2025, more than one hundred theaters across the country participated in the program, screening from a slate of eight films across genre, language, and eras of filmmaking. The full 2026 slate will be released later this Spring, and this year’s participating theaters will receive access to an exclusive Q&A with Riley, recorded at The Roxie Theater in San Francisco, moderated by Bay Area filmmaker H.P. Mendoza.

Boots Riley is a filmmaker, activist, screenwriter, producer, poet, rapper, and speaker. His second feature I Love Boosters world premiered at the opening night of this year’s SXSW and opens in theaters nationwide May 22 2026. He’s also the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar. A dedicated community based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades.He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb.”

His feature directorial debut Sorry to Bother You, included in this year’s AHTD slate, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green (LaKeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe. By embedding messages regarding economic and class critique as well as politically progressive movement building into dystopian science fiction satire, Riley elevates issues surrounding income inequality into wide public discussion.

“We are so excited to welcome Boots as our 2026 Art House Theater Day Ambassador,” said Lela Meadow-Conner, AHC’s Interim Executive Director. “As an artist and activist, Boots embodies a communal and independent spirit, and freedom of expression that are also hallmarks of art house cinemas, and how they show up for their communities. Celebrating original voices and the pastime of moviegoing has never been more critical. We’re honored to ring in this year’s AHTD together.”

2026 also marks the second year of AHTD’s Programming Fellowship, designed for budding curators to build the slate of AHTD films. Under the mentorship of experienced art house curators, the fellowship incorporates core elements of cinema programming for independent exhibition across a wide spectrum of theaters (including galleries, libraries, archives, museums, universities, microcinemas, pop-ups, and film clubs.) Through the program, the fellows engage in a nationwide curatorial opportunity that celebrates the communal experience of moviegoing.

Find tickets for Sorry to Bother You HERE