Russian cinemas 'resorting to piracy as sanctions bite'

Cinemas in Russia are now routinely showing pirated copies of movies as they struggle to survive amid a blockade by international producers imposed as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.

A report on the TorentFreak website notes that a few weeks ago there were around 16 cinemas in the country showing copies sourced from torrent sites, but that has now swelled to 127, with some sites hiring out their screens for private viewings of pirated content.

The Russian Association of Cinema Owners decided last month to leave Europe's International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) amid the current sanctions and mass exodus of Hollywood film companies from Russia and "the prevailing rhetoric regarding Russia, including in the entertainment sector."

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