Day 2 of the Audience Development and Innovation Lab in Bologna began with a tour of the Modernissimo cinema, under the Piazza Maggiore. Stunning attention to detail, along with careful consideration for how to bring history into the present with the best in film and digital technology, set the cinema apart. Following the trip, the participants returned to hear Jean-Marc Lalo speak about inclusive, accessible and sustainable spaces before turning their attention to brand building.

Keynote: Jean-Marc Lalo

Jean-Marc Lalo spoke about his experiences in designing cinema spaces while placing great importance on the detailed aspects of designing with environmental sustainability, accessibility and inclusion in mind. From auditorium lighting to the evolving technical challenges that new formats such as laser projection create, Lalo outlined a number of impressive cost and energy saving initiatives that have the potential to completely reshape the future for cinema venues.

Starting with the external spaces around cinema buildings, Lalo asked participants to think about how their cinema frontage informs audiences of their internal spaces: what is the perception of what’s inside from the outside? Moreover, how does that frontage actively encourage the audience to cross the threshold? There is, Lalo said, “A ‘before’ and an ‘after’ the threshold.” From the noises on the street and every other sensory experience that changes when crossing that border, as customers enter the liminal spaces between the street and the auditorium, great care should be taken to ensure that the transition flows. For example, there should be some noise in the space as complete silence would be too jarring, but it needs to be at a reduced, comfortable level. Lalo also spoke about re-thinking the positionality of the ticket desk. Many venues have them as the first thing you encounter when you enter the space, but being immediately faced with a transaction can be abrasive and having it present but not front and centre is an alternative option.

“We used to say that a cinema has 20 years,” Lalo said, “before some change is required, but now that is much faster – every 10 years.” With tastes changing more rapidly, and with the acceleration of evolving technologies, younger audiences expect more frequent change.

Lalo also spoke about energy consumption, favouring climatization, ventilation and heat pumps. One of the more surprising suggestions was to have windows on the ceilings with curtains to allow daylight into the spaces instead of electric lighting – something he has implemented in a recent project in Mali. Other renewable energy suggestions include solar panels on the roof of the cinema buildings and even potentially using wind turbines in some locations. The dream, for Lalo, is to introduce geothermal pumps, roof gardens, double walls and other energy saving initiatives that ensure new structures are built with sustainability in mind. Without budget constraints the sky could quite literally be the limit…

But we know that most cinemas don’t have unlimited resources to build or renovate, which is where thoughtful innovation comes into play. Ida Schomber from Kino Traumstern in Denmark presented on the changes their cinema has made to a problematic foyer. Schomber said the cinema didn’t have the funds to appoint an architect or to make large-scale renovations, but still needed to urgently solve the format of their foyer, which was both undesirable and dangerous. To improve upon what they had, with limited resources, Schomer’s team created a bespoke and useful stage area that has created an intimate, inclusive and comfortable space to hold the types of deep discussions that arthouse cinema enables. It also acts as a thoughtful space for people to read, think or reflect before or after film screenings. Schomber also spoke about the nostalgic 1970s vibe of the space. Buying vintage furniture is environmentally more sustainable, financially more viable and also creates an identifiable and striking visual aesthetic (pictured above).

Later in the day, participants worked in groups to imagine how they would integrate some of these ideas into a dream cinema project, while Jean-Marc Lalo answered a range of questions from the room, including how to better make auditoriums accessible while maintaining cinema rake integrity, and how to better integrate wheelchair accessibility in the auditorium without ostracizing those viewers through segregated seating plans. One solution is to have accessibility from the front and the back of the room, meaning wheelchair uses have two alternate sightlines and seating options. Another is to put the seating in the middle of the room with access points at both sides of the auditorium. Of course, taking this into consideration while building a space is certainly easier than retrofitting it down the line.

Brand Building

After thinking intensely about the building spaces, the afternoon session looked at how three exhibitors – with very different contexts – build their brand. Züleyha Azman from KINO Rotterdam showed a selection of the bespoke trailers and videos that she works on with Baris Azman for the cinema. One such example is how they landed on a Robby Muller retrospective. Scrolling through Instagram, looking for a new photographic exhibition to feature in their cafe/bar, Züleyha came across the polaroid pictures of the Robby Müller Archive. Featuring blow ups of the polaroids – which are film adjacent, images taken during filming but not specifically related to the films – and with a photo album release to coincide with the screenings, the season and their trailers were a great success. Züleyha also placed emphasis on telling personal stories – of the team, and of individuals – to give a unique and personal perspective. Building community links through these personal experiences not only helps bring in audiences and sell out screening rooms, but also builds meaningful relationships and experiences for the communities involved.

During the quiet months over summer when they would otherwise temporarily close their kitchen, Azman and Azman – as a film production duo – filmed and produced a trailer for the concession as a take-away and delivery option, using an iPhone 16 Pro. Using specific film references in their marketing, whether or not they’re specifically showing films from that filmmaker – also further demonstrate their love of cinema, and how knowledgeable and capable their team is, assuring their audience that they are in safe cine-hands.

Miranda van Gelder from Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt in the Netherlands presented their unique challenge of branding a cinema in transition. Located but not presently situated in Utrecht, their cinema venue is currently on hiatus and, without a building in which to operate, they had two choices: pause programming or programme cinema anywhere. “If you strip away the securities,” van Gelder said, “then you have to reinvent and reimagine the entire plan.” And so, Hoogt on Tour was born, and along with it a journey of discovery: “If you have no venue,” van Gelder continued, “then everything can be your venue.” And what better discovery than to find out that while place is often a great beacon for community and belonging, that community is also mobile: “If it’s not about the place,” van Gelder said, “then it’s about the people and collaborations.” Focusing on community and catering to a younger and more diverse audience, Hoogt on Tour continues to thrive, thanks to the support of their long-term partners, the City of Utrecht, Europa Cinemas, the distributors they work with and as a mobile participant in the highly successful Cineville cinema subscription initiative. Of course, van Gelder admits, while they have continued to community and brand build in flux, they look forward to one day resettling into venue based cinema.

Finally, Maja Jurić Ivoš from Kino Kinoteka and Tuškanac Summer in Zagreb presented on how they have managed to completely reinvigorate two significant and historically rich cinema spaces after long periods of inactivity. Kino Kinoteka, which was built in 1941 and operated until 2005, then sat closed for 12 years until, in 2017, the city’s Centre for Culture and Film took over the space and brought it back to life. Likewise, the Tuškanac Summer amphitheatre, which was built in 1954 and was operational until 1970, deteriorated significantly in the 40+ years that it was left to ruin. In 2012, it was finally restored, with the Centre for Culture and Film running the space both in partnership with international film festivals and with a programme of curated new releases. Operational for three months a year, from June 26 through to September, the forest cinema now echoes the growth of its natural environs as a thriving ecosystem for film culture.