Sweden – Zita (Stockholm)

Zita Folkets Bio is one of the three art house cinemas situated in central Stockholm. The cinema makes part of the Swedish distribution company Folkets Bio cinema network since 1993 and is Stockholm’s oldest still running cinema since it’s opening in 1913. The cinema consists of three screening rooms (140, 45 and 30seats). Zita also has a restaurant serving audiences warm food and beverages between the films.

The cinema programming consists mainly of latest art house films with a combination of special screenings, film festivals, short film premieres and other audience participatory screenings. It makes Zita one of the most important cinemas for films that normally wouldn’t fit the commercial cinemas and a venue for many of Stockholm smaller film festivals and other cultural initiatives arranging at the venue.

With a program consisting of art house films the cinema relies on its core audiences and cinema members. As an institution of such high cultural value, audiences expect quality films connected to the cinema as a brand. The marketing is low-key but focused on interest groups connected to the films exhibited in the cinema but also throughout the cinema volunteers spreading physical information and posters. The program also includes several different film series such as the Swedish Cinematheque, French Tuesdays, New Finnish Cinema, Art films and more.

With a large volunteer bank that helps out at Zita we can also work with them on its approach to audience development. We arrange special screenings that reach out to other audiences and special guests attracting new audiences ranging from all ages. The cinema also extends to other partners and organisations when it comes to audience development, creating collaborations where people can visit the cinema or events on different themes that attract niche audiences. During the year we organised several themed series connected to national holidays or other important days.

Zita has a full care responsibility on having school screenings and youth cinema during the weekends. Although funding has been withdrawn on children screenings lately the cinema works constantly on attracting audiences from 3-13 with a variety of film premieres and film screenings connected to events that can attract the parents and it’s children. This also helped by the cinema’s distribution company Folkets Bio which is one of the most important children film distributors in the country.

http://www.zita.se/