The Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Cinema has launched a national alternative cinema hall network designed to broaden public access to independent films and decentralize cultural distribution across the country.
The new initiative, named the Dominican Alternative Cinema Hall Network (Rescad), was formally introduced following an integration agreement signed in Santo Domingo with Fundación Casa de Teatro.
Under the agreement, Casa de Teatro becomes the first cultural institution to join the network, dedicating a screening room to showcase national and international motion pictures.
The signing was conducted by Marianna Vargas Gurilieva, general director of the film agency known as Dgcine, and Freddy Ginebra Giudicelli, representing Fundación Casa de Teatro.
Rescad was created to establish alternative screening venues outside standard commercial movie theaters. The network focuses on expanding distribution for Dominican productions while providing public access to international films that receive limited commercial release.
The dedicated room at Casa de Teatro will feature regular programming including feature films, short films, documentaries, and other Dominican audiovisual works. The venue will also host panel discussions, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and educational activities focused on film appreciation and audience development.
Technical guidance, content curation, and programming support for the network will be managed through Dgcine's specialized unit, the Cinemateca Dominicana.
Connecting cinema with broader audiences
Vargas Gurilieva said that Rescad was established to connect national films with larger audiences while creating new opportunities for exhibition and circulation. She added that incorporating Casa de Teatro, an institution with a central role in Dominican cultural history, provided a significant foundation for the initiative.
Freddy Ginebra said the partnership offered a new opportunity to reaffirm the foundation's commitment to promoting Dominican culture and creative talent. He stated that Casa de Teatro has long served as a home for artists across various disciplines, adding that joining Rescad establishes a permanent venue for film to reach new audiences.
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The screening space at Casa de Teatro will also accommodate film projects selected under a new funding stream from Fonprocine, the state film promotion fund. The dedicated funding line is designed specifically to support the exhibition and distribution of Dominican movies in non-commercial spaces.
This financial mechanism enables independent filmmakers to implement promotional strategies outside traditional commercial multiplexes. Officials said Rescad and Fonprocine will work in tandem to strengthen the distribution phase of Dominican films, open new screening windows, and foster film culture in diverse communities.
Support for alternative exhibition
Founded in 1974, Casa de Teatro is a non-profit cultural organization based in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. For more than 50 years, the venue has served as a key center for theater, live music, visual arts, literature, and cinema.
Through the expansion of Rescad, Dgcine and the Cinemateca Dominicana aim to build a wider, more accessible screening circuit that brings cinematic works to new audiences across multiple generations.
