The history of Scala started in 1929. Scala was the first cinema fully dedicated to sound film in Moravia. Since its opening Scala was the cinema with the largest screen and audience capacity in Brno.
Closing Scala in 2011 led to major public debates, among them the voices from Masaryk University were the loudest. The University soon started negotiating with the city and Aeropolis. Negotiations lead into the re-opening of Scala in October 2013.
The biggest challenge was to find a model of mutual cooperation between the University and Aeropolis.
On a practical level, in the morning Scala “belongs” to the University and hosts lectures, conferences and other educational events; during the weekends and evenings it is a regular cinema.
Scala’s strongest point is the close connection with Masaryk University. This is truly a unique connection, bringing new impulses into our daily management.
Our programme is made up of a mix of selected films, alternative content and other events, the programme profile would tend towards modern arthouse, but we have no compunction in selecting also quality mainstream titles. Scala presents ceremonial premiere screenings, live transmissions of opera, drama, musical performances, silent films with live music and many film festivals. Students of film studies at Masaryk University participate in designing our programme and they create their own regular programme cycles. Recently we started having regular screenings in our cinema café, focusing on documentaries and older titles.
When communicating with our audience, we use the classic printed cinema programme, but social media as well, since more people are used to communicate through them.
Jan Kárl
Find out who is Kino Scala’s Ambassador here.