Day 2 of the Lab addressed one of the biggest and most important challenges for exhibitors: young audiences. Segmenting the broad category into three age groups: 3-10, 10-17 and 18-25, exhibitors presented the myriad ways in which they are engaging with young generations. From educational materials to eventisation, keeping cinema-going alive for the future involves research, development, and innovation. Simply showing films is not enough to develop audiences; building community involves both content and context.

In the morning, participants arranged themselves according to the total number of cinema seats in their venues, from the fewest (49, at Filmhuis Cavia, Netherlands) to the most (2700, Cinema in the Village, Bulgaria), with the average number sitting at 480 – the closest to which among participants is Lumière Maastricht in the Netherlands with 478 seats across six screens.

Building community through special events

Eventisation has become the norm for arthouse cinemas, but constantly searching for new ways to give audiences added value can be challenging – when asked what they wanted to get out of the lab, many participants cited new ideas. Innovation can be elusive and, by its nature, not always an instant success story. A good starting point, then, comes from sharing best practice, with tangible examples that are already working in cinemas across the Network.

Nestor Molinero de la Fuente from Odeon Multicines in Spain presented on their approach to neighbourhood cinema, and developing locally to create loyalty. Creating events that offer more, their approach includes inviting film professionals to lead analysis, focusing on genre films, or original soundtracks to build community and loyalty. Having audiences stay longer periods of time at their venue, the aim is to “make cinema their second home”.

Sara Horzen from Kinodvor in Slovenia explained how October 31st has become her favourite day, thanks to their annual 12-hour cine-marathon of cult classics that screen from dusk to dawn. Hosted by a well-known Slovenian film critic, Marcel Štefančič Jr, the programme is a mix of contemporary films and established classics. The event includes what Horzen calls “performative interventions”, spanning themed refreshments, and a “living installation” realised by a high profile, provocative artist. Kinodvor also invite their staff to get involved with the performative elements, which have included a member of staff performing as Stephen King’s Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) in drag. The audience love to dress up according to the appointed theme – past examples have included Victorian prestige and Prom Night. Kinodvor will soon take on another site with more screening rooms, which means expanding their brand and hopefully further developing their Halloween offer, ideally also for children. Among Horzen’s future dreams for building on the event are both strategic planning (avenues for sponsorship) and even more audience participation (hosting a “best scream contest”).

Alexander Lang from Kino Moviemento and Toni in Germany presented their Blind Date Cinema, an initiative developed to counter the alienation and data mining of big tech companies and dating apps. The film screening acts as an ice-breaker, giving participants a topic to discuss, which means that potentially awkward first date question is replaced with a film to discuss. Participants receive a free drink, fill in a short questionnaire before the film (fun questions about their favourite movie as well as their age and gender demographics) which the staff use to make matches while the film screening takes place. Local and national press interest created buzz, but the surprise takeaway was that there was interest not only from younger audiences but also from 40-60-year-olds, too. The programming is relatively broad, focusing of topical content rather than romantic films. A weekly event, staged on Tuesdays, typically a quieter day for cinemas, the biggest learning has been that one-to-one matches aren’t necessarily as important as the very basic human need for connection and conversation. Changes to the initial idea include reviewing the questionnaire, and expanding from one-to-one matches into group discussions, giving an organic platform for individuals to enact any future ‘dating’ plans.

Dedication to Young Audiences: A large spectrum of possibilities

Noémie Levadoux from the Europa Cinemas team presented some headline YA statistics, including outlining the current level of Young Audience Support that the Network awards. In 2025, a total of 681 from 852 submissions were supported, which represents 80% of the member cinemas in the network, and a total of three million YA admissions throughout the Network. Levadoux acknowledged the disparity that exists between countries, regions and contexts in terms of existing support from governments, municipalities and other local stakeholders and funding bodies. Access and ability to engage with formal educational settings such as schools and universities and young audience resources also varies. The Young Audience Award which is given each year to a cinema for their oustanding achievement is a formal recognition of innovation and engagement in this area. The award can also potentially help cinemas in proving their commitment and achievement to then further attract local funding or other forms of support.

Kids: 3-10

Skalvijos Kino Centras in Lithuania received the Europa Cinemas Young Audience Award in 2024 (presented at the Network Conference in Vilnius) for their exemplary work with young audiences. From publishing a children’s book about cinema, to developing workbook materials, Skalvijos work dedicatedly to creating and maintaining both the resources to support film education and literacy as well as screenings that take place in their auditoriums. The greatest impact, Rūta Lazauskaitė-Lukoševičienė says, “Comes not only from the film itself but what happens afterwards.” Skalvijos see their mission as: “Not only to screen films, but to create a meaningful dialogue.”

Claudia Giuliano and Fabio Zenadocchio from Cinema Don Bosco spoke about collaboration as the key to their young audience success. Working with film professionals, through networking with other Italian cinemas, and following their Europa Cinemas supported Training Boot Camp, their network of collaborators expanded. Partnering with other associations, schools, teachers and their youth community, they were able to create their initiative: Alice Through the Screen. Working as a national network of five partner cinemas across five Italian regions, and in partnership with cultural institutions, film academies, distributors and production companies, they were able to engage 22 schools and more than 3000 students, led by 10 facilitators, themselves all under the age of 35. The project consists of three priority areas: to watch, learn and create: “Exploring different forms of creativity and self-expression through the many languages of cinema,” Giuliano explained. One challenge was in finding the most appropriate films, especially for children under the age of six – something the Cineteca di Bologna was able to assist with, working specifically as they do with children’s film programming. Supporting teachers with educational tools and resources alongside “emphasising the unique value of the theatrical experience,” has, Giuliano said, been key in upskilling across the value chain to ensure the project’s sustainability.

Jelena Svirčić from Art Kino Arsen in Croatia presented their year-round young audience programming, which consists of four programme strands, across two locations. The programme spans both primary and secondary school age children, and the screenings are accompanied by educational worksheets and film educator-led discussions. Their events are, for many children, their first cultural experience, creating a significant connection with the cinema space. In 2025, they reached 2166 young audiences, which comprised more than a third of their total audience numbers. In Summer, they have a strong tradition of open-air screenings, which are hugely popular with young audiences, too. The continuity of events builds trust among young audiences and with their partner schools, too. “Families return when the venue feels familiar,” Svirčić said, “The first screenings are the beginning of a relationship.” A clear need for sharededucational materials around films was discussed, which exists in some countries but not others. The European Children’s Film Association was one recommended resource that offers a database of European children’s films as well as offering articles, awards and inspiration for existing and future projects.

Teens: 10-17

The next step after children’s films is addressing pre-teen and teenage young audience. Manuela Del Duca from Kino Charlie in Poland presented on their Eco Academy educational film workshops for young audiences. They hold free screenings for teachers, who are invited with a +1 guest so that they can see and understand the upcoming slate of films and plans from the cinema. “Every child deserves access to culture, creativity and education,” Del Duca said. Many families, they discovered, when talking with school teachers and their communities, face financial difficulties which form a barrier for children to access cinema. The Eco Academy project at Kino Charlie focused on themes of environmental sustainability and protection, nature and sustainable living. The film screenings, which included educational films were followed by workshops on stop-motion animation, basic storytelling techniques and sought to develop teamwork and problem solving skills through collaboration. The materials used for the workshops were all recycled packaging and items that would otherwise form landfill to optimise reuse and to reduce waste.

Enzo Setteducati from Pop Up Cinema Italy, which began in 2017, has an educational team of five and takes place across four screens in Bologna – Arlecchino, Jolly, Medica and Bristol. “We believe that true collaborative practice is the key,” Setteducati said, emphasising that: “Cinema is the only art whose name is the same as the physical place where it exists.” They work with young audiences between the ages of three and 18. They work with the school curriculum but also beyond it: building communities, fostering critical thinking, engaging with political issues, facilitating peer-to-peer education, enabling dialogue, and empowering students through cultural practices and innovative learning experiences. “The screen becomes our window onto different stories and life,” Setteducati said, “Going to the cinema is not just entertainment, it is a profound cultural practice for empowerment.”

Mirjana Doblanović Pekica from Kino Valli in Croatia presented on their cinema’s work with teenagers from school age to 15+. Having worked with school age children since 2009, their development of the 15+ age group officially began in 2022: “Programming by and for young cinema-lovers.” For the very young children (up to the age of seven), they offer live dubbing of the films, but from age eight it’s strictly subtitles, which can be challenging for some children who would still prefer the dubbed experience. Context, here, is essential: in presenting and introducing the film, and with the educational materials and engagement that teachers provide after the screenings of the films. Research and distributor relationships are just as important in accessing appropriate materials, “Meaningful engagement is comprised of so much more than just projecting a film,” Doblanović Pekica said.

Gen Z: 18-25

Maria Panait from Cinema Europa in Romania spoke about the state of cinema as a space at risk amidst a rise of people spending increasingly more time at home watching streaming platforms. Cinema was once the only way to see new movies, with “one-way information” (broadcast from the cinema through schedules, posters, etc), whilst conversation, community engagement, audience-generated content and interactive formats are the favoured contemporary modes of communication for Gen Z. “The main thing they need,” Panait said, “is to be heard,” highlighting the new habits of this generation and how they like to engage with screen media. “Young people don’t leave home for content alone,” she continued, “You have to make the cinema experience worth leaving home for.” Thematic programming, eventisation that gives added value around the films, and community building through conversation and participation are what keep these young audiences coming back for more.

Wiltoria Pelzer from Stadtkino & Admiral Kino, and Laura Köpf from nonstop-KINO, both in Austria, explained how their adaptation of the Dutch Cineville model (which has also been adapted in Belgium, Germany, Sweden and other countries) is engaging Gen Z. The subscription model centres on their values: being a multiplier for cinema and film culture, offering low threshold access to culture, building community and networking, and being culturally oriented, with profit as a by-product rather than an inciting goal. One of the key benefits that nonstop-KINO offers is low risk or low threshold access to films – increasing the number of times subscribers attend each mont, owing to the unlimited nature of the model. They also host special events, previews and parties for subscribers to attend, as well as engaging audiences with fresh and playful design, all of which creates loyalty among subscribers.

Success patterns that Köpf identified from their top 10 performing titles included: 1) auteurism, 2) a one-line narrative promise, 3) eventisation around the screenings, 4) recognisable actors, 5) a significant cultural significance – such as realting to national identity or a cinema movement like Nordic New Wave, and 6) social proof – such as sharing across platforms like TikTok and Letterboxd. Communications strategies included segmenting by motivations, not only traditional demographics like age. Examples given included: 1) festival seeker, 2) local loyalist, 3) social regular, 4) general enthusiast, and 5) comfort cinephile.

Elisa from Cineteca di Bologna explained how they took inspiration from an international exchange with Watershed in the UK to engage with their youth audiences aged 17 and over. Also focusing on participation, Cineteca di Bologna developed a programme – Il Cinema Ritrovato Young – to bring young people together to curate a monthly film programme. Alessandro Olivieri & Agata Greco met on the programme, and in addition to selecting the films, they created social media content directed at their peers, editorial, and physical media – including postcards, which young audiences like to collect. Their programme represented a balance between mainstream and independent arthouse films, “A programme about adolescence for adolescents,” Greco said. The young programmers also interviewed filmmakers, and hosted events at Visioni Italiane and Il Cinema Ritrovato. Since then, they have aged out of the young programmers’ initiative but have now created their own association: Le monde est à nous. The association is comprised of university students – not all studying in the film department, but united by their passion for cinema. Working in partnership with the Cineteca, and supported by the Cineteca’s educational department, they also collaborate with wider organisations and communities. They manage Cineteca’s Letterboxd profile, maintain a Whatsapp Community, and create reels, quizzes, and other social media content. Their future goal is to empower young audiences to create an active collective around their passion for cinema.

The session closed with a reflection on different approaches to digital Comms, photochemical or analogue screening formats, as well as how the less tangible, more organic modes of communication such as ‘word of mouth’ can help propagate cinema-going habits. At the end of Day 2 of the Lab, it is clear that Comms strategies need to take more than just the film content and traditional audience demographics into account. Today’s biggest takeaways include focusing on collaborative working practices, conversational engagement, motivational segmentation, partnership approaches, and the development of educational resources and materials. Young audience development is not unattainable, but it does require a sustained level of commitment from exhibitors and a willingness to experiment in a more participatory mode of innovation.