701 Cinemas — The Membership
One price.
One catalogue.
One year.
701 Cinemas is a fixed archive of seven hundred and one independent and world films — restored, contextualised, and chosen because a curator argued, in writing, for its inclusion. A paid annual membership opens the full archive in streaming quality, alongside 4,200 recorded essays, 318 completed 4K restorations, and the curatorial correspondence behind every title.
There is no algorithm. There is no tier above this one. This is the only way in.
§ 01
What eighty-nine dollars buys — and what it does not.
$89USD / year
The complete 701 archive. No upsell tier. No annual price increase since 2019.
- Streaming access
- All 701 titles in rotation, in HD or 4K where restored. New selections refresh the catalogue by 30–40 films each quarter after curatorial review.
- Audio essays
- 4,200+ recorded essays of 12–25 minutes, voiced by working critics, programmers, or the filmmaker themselves.
- 4K restorations
- 318 titles already restored from the catalogue, including prints recovered from Éclair, the Cinémathèque Française, and private collections.
- Curator's notes
- A written case for inclusion for every title — why this film, why now, why over the submission that didn't make it.
- Member correspondence
- A quarterly printed letter from the curatorial desk, mailed on request. A standing invitation to the annual 701 Days retrospective.
§ 02
What arrives with a membership.
A four-item colophon — proof of value, written plainly, in the archive's house style.
- 701 titles in rotation The brand's deliberate cap. Refreshed by 30–40 films per quarter, never above the ceiling.
- 4,200+ recorded audio essays Twelve to twenty-five minutes each, voiced by the critic, programmer, or filmmaker who argued for the film.
- 318 completed 4K restorations Including the 1,000th 4K restoration in our programme's history — Jean Eustache's The Mother and the Whore, October 2024.
- 84% annual member retention Measured against an industry average of 58% for streaming services. We publish the figure every January.
§ 03
Questions a thoughtful subscriber asks before paying.
Eight recurring questions, answered in print. If your question is not here, write to [email protected] and a named curator will reply within five working days.
Does the membership renew automatically?+
Only on explicit opt-in. At the end of twelve months you will receive a renewal notice fourteen days before any charge. If you do nothing, the membership lapses and your access closes on the renewal date — no auto-debit, no retention pop-up.
Can I cancel mid-year and receive a refund?+
Yes, within thirty days of initial purchase for a full refund. After thirty days, we close the account on request and prorate the unused months as a credit toward the next cycle if you rejoin. Membership is treated as a twelve-month subscription to a finite archive, not a recurring utility.
Where is the service available?+
In 41 countries as of December 2025, covering North America, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. A handful of titles are geo-restricted by distribution agreements with our nineteen partner labels; we surface this clearly on the title page rather than failing silently.
What devices and accessibility features are supported?+
Native applications for recent-generation browsers, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Apple TV 4K, and Roku. Every title ships with SDH subtitles where available, descriptive audio on 142 titles, and full keyboard navigation. Audio essays are accompanied by an optional written transcript.
How many people can use one account?+
Two simultaneous streams. Account sharing across households is permitted but capped at four registered devices. A discounted couple's plan ($129/yr, two named members) is available at checkout for partners sharing a household.
Are you supported by ads or third-party data sales?+
No advertising of any kind. No third-party tracking pixels. The membership fee is the entire revenue model. We publish a yearly transparency note listing every analytics tool in production use.
Is there a discount for students, educators, or cinemas?+
Yes — a $44/yr rate for verified students and educators (142 film programmes currently use the archive as a teaching resource, including NYU Tisch, AFI, and the Łódź Film School). Festival, hospitality, and educational licensing operate outside the membership and are handled by separate inquiry.
What happens to my data if I cancel?+
Account data is purged within thirty days of closure, with the exception of a one-line historical record (member since, films watched, dates of access) kept anonymised for our annual transparency report. We do not sell, share, or rent member data under any circumstance.
§ 04
For programmers, hospitality, and schools.
Membership is for individual viewing. The archive is also licensed separately to festivals, cinemas, hotels and cruise lines, universities, and to filmmakers seeking exhibition of their own work. These inquiries live outside the membership flow and are answered by a small team within five working days.
- Festival programmers Curated sidebars, retrospective packages, and 23-title packages for the annual 701 Days retrospective held across nine cities each autumn.
- Hospitality buyers Hotels, boutique residences, and cruise lines seeking a curated in-room film channel, with quarterly programme rotations.
- Educational institutions Universities and film schools; currently licensed to 142 programmes including NYU Tisch, AFI, and the Łódź Film School.
701 Days 2024 — partner venue, Minneapolis.
§ 05 — Begin
Seven hundred and one films.
One membership.
This year.
A paid annual membership opens the full 701 archive in streaming quality, alongside 4,200 recorded essays and 318 completed 4K restorations. No algorithm. No upsell. The archive's deliberate cap of seven hundred and one titles holds at every moment of your subscription — a fixed horizon in a moving landscape.