Though the fundamentals of the cinema experience have not changed – it remains, in essence, sitting in a dark room, watching a film with strangers – the landscape continues to change. Adapting to and understanding the new and diverse audiences our venues are attracting is paramount, but it is also important that meeting audience needs doesn’t come at the cost of burnout.
Eric Franssen from Palace in Belgium said that looking back was actually important insofar as identifying those fundamentals of the business and in breaking down the idealised visions we may have about the past. When the Palace was renovated in 2018, Franssen and his team looked at their identity, location, infrastructure and offer in detail, defining their work as presenting “the best films in optimal conditions.” Positive changes in the landscape are as important to note as challenges and Franssen sees the current landscape as offering exhibitors greater negotiating powers, which in turn amplifies the independence of the cinema.
Metka Dariš from Kinodvor in Slovenia said, “Asking how we have to change implies we have to change but cinema is changing all the time… It didn’t happen because of the pandemic or after the pandemic,” she continued, “Your audience, if you know them, come to you because you are a specific thing to them.” But, with all of the many and varied activities that Kinodvor runs, there is a danger of taking on too much for the limited resources of the small cinema team, “We have to prioritise – we have to have logistics for the workflow,” she said. Taking care of the staff is an investment in the future of the cinema and, in working through any issues or ensuring staff don’t burnout, Dariš is building internal resilience and strength for the team to continue their work.
David Kelly, Programmer for Lighthouse Cinema UK said that pace of recovery has been overwhelming in Ireland, and that they are set to record their biggest year for box office and admissions this year. “It comes with a lot of hard work and eventising,” he said. “Every single weekend we’re doing events, with Q&As or intros, or double bills… we’re constantly eventising, the regular programme especially.” The impact of eventised cinema is also huge among the younger generations. “The Letterboxd and TikTok generation are really coming out for classics,” he said, reaffirming an emerging trend across the sector, “Younger audiences are really driving the recovery for us.”
Marynia Gierat from Kino Pod Baranami in Poland agreed with Dariš about the future of cinema being rooted in the past. She also agreed with Kelly, though, that eventide cinema is what really works, the challenge of which is how much more the cinema can do. “I have a feeling that we have to do more all the time,” she said, “be more active and creative in our programming and marketing ideas; we have to be more flexible to react to challenges and opportunities; we have to be more of everything. The word ‘more’ is hanging over us. It takes time and it takes energy out of our teams. I think the challenge for the future of cinemas is to deal with those two things: the lack of time and the lack of energy.” Taking inspiration from an earlier panel discussion on marketing updates, Gierat pointed to Javier Pachón’s focus on selecting and using the best technology and tools to simplify workflow.
Wiktoria Pelzer from Stadtkino Im Künstlerhaus and Admiral in Vienna echoed Gierat’s concerns, saying that even the many ideas gleaned from speakers at the conference already would have to be considered carefully before implementation for her and her team. “I’m gathering things here and at the same time I’m hesitant… I really get super excited about new ideas and super eager to do them right away, but we have to think about how we implement it and if it’s sustainable with the team we have.”
Photos courtesy of Gediminas Gražys