It seems that way in L.A and New York.

'Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry describing the marketing strategy of playing a new film in only a select few theaters across the country, typically in major metropolitan markets. A limited release is often used to gauge the appeal of specialty films, like documentaries, independent films and art films. A common practice by film studios is to give highly anticipated and critically acclaimed films a limited release on or before December 31 in Los Angeles in order to qualify for an Academy Award nomination (as set by its rules). These films are almost always released to a wider audience in January or February of the following year.' Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_release ---- 'A roadshow theatrical release (known also as reserved seat engagement) was a term in the motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and other major cities around the world for a specific period of time before the nationwide general release. Although variants of roadshow releases occasionally still exist, the practice mostly ended in the early 1970s.' Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadshow_theatrical_release