Entertainment · Film · 1 hr ago
Curry Barker says cinemas offer Gen Z a shared experience without conversation
Filmmaker Curry Barker received the inaugural Future of Filmmaking Award at a Los Angeles summit on October 17.
He said Gen Z may value cinemas as a place to share an experience without having to talk.
Barker suggested that going to a theater also lets people put their phones away and spend time together outside their homes.
His film “Obsession” became one of the year’s biggest box office hits, and he said audiences want good stories, whether they are original or based on existing material.
Barker moved from Alabama to Los Angeles, where he met collaborator Cooper Tomlinson; they left film school to make short films for YouTube.
Their work led to Barker’s feature films, including “Obsession” and the upcoming “Anything But Ghosts,” which had finished filming before “Obsession” became a hit.
Curry Barker said cinemas offer Gen Z social interaction and a shared experience without requiring conversation.
He suggested younger people may be tired of staying home on their phones.
Barker spoke at IndieWire’s Los Angeles Summit, where he received the inaugural Future of Filmmaking Award.
He said the lesson from a film’s success or failure is the quality of its storytelling, not whether it is original or based on existing intellectual property.
- Who
- Filmmaker Curry Barker.
- What
- He said cinemas give Gen Z a collective social experience without the expectation of talking.
- When
- He spoke on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
- Where
- IndieWire’s Los Angeles Summit.
- Why
- He suggested Gen Z may be tired of being at home on their phones and sees theaters as a place to put phones away and share an experience.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Barker spoke with IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt at the Los Angeles Summit and received the inaugural Future of Filmmaking Award.
IndieWire published its article about Barker’s comments.
- Speaker
- Curry Barker
- Event
- IndieWire’s Los Angeles Summit
- Award
- Inaugural Future of Filmmaking Award
- Date of event
- October 17, 2026
- Article publication
- October 20, 2026
What people are saying
The theater is just a cool place!
It’s perfect for Gen Z, because you’re going to have social interactions, but you’re not expected to talk to anybody.
You can just put your phone away for two hours and have a collective experience with humans without having to talk to them!
I think the lesson to be learned is that we crave good stories.