There's another factor in play here. A film is, for the time being, shown on the screen using a physical copy of the film, a print. These cost money to make.

The big hollywood blockbuster that's virtually empty in the afternoon can be shown because the cinema has the print here, for the weekend when it will be full. Showing it again has only relativley small marginal costs.

To get a copy of 'The wind that shakes the barley', or various interesting forign films would cost a similar amount, but the managers don't think they will get the big audiences to pay for them.

It will be intersting to see if in a decade or so, when most cinemas will have switched to digital projection, if there are more limited market films shown, as it will be easier and cheaper for the cinema to get a copy of them.

Of course, even if they do, I'm sure there will be some people getting annoyed at the 'ban' because they're showing the political film in the afternoon, and giving the saturday night screens over to ' Exploding Helicopters and Gratuitious Bikini's 4', or whaterver pap Hollywood is offering...