Another year of our Bologna Innovation Lab kicked off this afternoon, bringing together 39 cinema exhibitors from across 20 countries for five days of connecting, learning and sharing insights and developing knowledge of sustainable growth through inclusive and data driven approaches.
The Lab participants were welcomed by Fatima Djoumer, CEO of Europa Cinemas, and Gian Luca Farinelli, CEO of Cineteca di Bologna. Fatima thanked the Cineteca di Bologna team for their continued warm welcome and readied participants for five days of learning new ways of working, reminding everyone that Europa Cinemas draws inspirations for exhibitors. Fatima also pointed exhibitors towards Europa Cinemas’ Training Boot Camps which supports developing skills locally and regionally through self-reliant training activities. Fatima concluded by highlighting the ongoing recovering of cinema as a cause for celebration.
Gian Luca underlined Il Cinema Ritrovato’s commitment to being a festival of cinemas, of celebrating what cinemas can do. He highlighted screenings of films from celluloid film, including The Searchers which the participants enjoyed together this evening, and explained the reopening of Cinema Modernissimo — which the participants will visit on Monday!
Gian Luca said that cinema is ingrained in European culture, as is European film, with cinemas being spaces which make people dream.
Züleyha Azman and Baris Azman, of Kino Rotterdam, then introduced their project Cinematic Days which will see them filming across the Lab and Il Cinema Ritrovato, posting short videos on Europa Cinema’s Instagram to capture the wonderful atmosphere at and surrounding the Lab.
Lab leaders Madeleine Probst, Head of Film at Watershed, and Mustafa El Mesaoudi, Managing Director of Cinema & Rex Filmtheater Wuppertal, then introduced purposes and values of the Lab. Participants were encouraged to throw themselves into the Lab and, although it may be hard, switch off from work and slow down. In the collaborative spirit of the Lab, Madeleine and Mustafa invited participants to discuss the values they want to see reflected in the Lab, with inspiration and openness as recurring themes. Madeleine also reminded the exhibitors that sharing problems can be useful as sharing things that work.
Then we dove into getting to know everyone! The participants each presented one thing they are proud of and one they want to improve about their cinemas. Exhibitors shared many diverse, inspirational projects alongside areas of concern, with similar issues present across many cinemas, including attracting new audiences, especially young audiences, and inclusion of diverse audiences.
Participants then got to enjoy Bologna and Il Cinema Ritrovato, with a nice dinner together followed by The Searchers (John Ford, 1956), presented by Wim Wenders and Alexander Payne, at Piazza Maggiore.
Over the next four days the Lab’s cinema exhibitors and invited guests will present on and explore methods of marketing, outreach and audience development to facilitate sustainable growth. You can join us on YouTube from 9.30am CET tomorrow (23rd) to watch sessions live throughout the Lab.