Kymberli Frueh: Trafalgar Releasing and the Business and Art of Event Cinema

What have Taylor Swift, BTS, the National Theatre and Peppa Pig all have in common? One thing, at least, is that they have all been brought to the big screen by the leading event cinema company, Trafalgar Releasing.  In this episode we speak with Trafalgar's SVP Programming and Content Acquisitions, Kymberli Frueh to discuss all aspects of the event cinema business - from how content is sourced to what makes a great cinema experience and the future of the theatrical business. From devleoping one night only and limited theatrical programs for event cinema in 2005, Kymberli's career spans two decades as a major contributor to acquiring and developing content and programming strategies for exhibition partners. She has been named one of the top 50 women in Global cinema by Celluloid Junkie three times, in 2018, 2022 and 2023. Kymberli first began her career in event cinema with U.S Based Fathom Events where she contributed significantly to the growth of Fathom and the various verticals that remain today. During her tenure, the event cinema company grew from $2M to $75M.  Before her exit, Kymberli managed the acquisitions team in focusing on several vertical offerings that remain today.  Kymberli joined Trafalgar Releasing in 2018 Career highlights include bringing live boxing back to cinemas with the Golden Boy/Mayweather franchise; exhibiting the first BTS event in cinemas globally (with such success that BTS now has recurring events with TR), and most recently working with major artists including The Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Metallica, Machine Gun Kelly, Billie Eilish and many more.