Rethinking Cinema in Changing Times: From Local Engagement to Global Politics, Sustainability and AI
Saturday 21 June – Wednesday 25 June

This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual Europa Cinemas Lab here in Bologna. Over twenty years, the Labs have enabled the sharing of best practice amongst some 900 cinema practitioners from across Europe and beyond. They have also led to the creation of similar labs in Sofia and Valladolid, as well as offshoots in Cluj, Graz, Sarajevo, Leipzig, Thessaloniki. These international gatherings provide unique opportunities for film exhibitors to reflect collectively on how cinemas can stay responsive to the changing needs of their communities and be inspired by each other’s approaches.
It’s part of a virtuous circle that also feeds into a number of Europa Cinemas’ flagship initiatives, such as the new Training Boot Camps initiative, encouraging member exhibitors to develop their own local and regional training activities; Next/ Change, an exchange programme for members; and Collaborate to Innovate, supporting national and international collaborations; all funded by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Commission.
Given the turbulent and polarizing times we find ourselves in, this edition will explore cinemas’ unique position as local cultural spaces – places that can connect people through film – and how they navigate challenging topics such as global politics and the environmental crisis at grassroot level. We will look at specific case studies of cinemas that have engaged positively with some of these issues, who have chosen to present (or not present) certain films and events that might be considered too “political.”
We will also reflect on the reality of implementing measures that can reduce our impact on the environment; from our food and beverage offer, to our buildings and projection equipment, to the films we show onscreen that might help mobilize community engagement around this.
There’ll also be an opportunity to explore some of the ethical challenges and practical opportunities around Artificial Intelligence, whatever the scale of our operations; taking in access considerations, our limited capacities, and the impact of this on workers, this is a topic that’s likely to generate a lively debate.
We’ll take a deep dive into local strategies of how our cinemas can continue to provide our diverse communities with distinctive pathways to our cultural programmes; in particular, how European and world cinema can capture people’s attention amidst the multitude of choice, and how to entice them into inclusive and dynamic social spaces, away from the comfort of their own homes.
With some 36,362,873 admissions for European films in 2024, the network is showing positive signs of recovery across its 1,238 cinemas in 764 cities and towns in 34 countries. Beyond the success of hits like C’e ancora domani (IT), Europa Cinemas has also significantly contributed to the circulation of productions such as Crossing (SE) and Green Border (PL), each recording nearly 70% of its admissions outside their home countries. We will explore how cinemas might work with other parts of the film chain to make smaller films stand out, with a focus on those European titles that are at the heart of the Europa Cinemas mission. Member cinemas are, of course, where these smaller films first get discovered on the big screen and, as a result, perform better across platforms, but how can we work more strategically with distributors to ensure these releases make an impact?
As we will be at the cinema paradise that is Il Cinema Ritrovato, a celebration of the collective experience of watching films of the past, we will also take time to reflect on the importance of looking back and rediscovery of films in making sense of what’s happening now.
We will also take time to reflect on how we look after our staff, our biggest assets, and create organisational cultures that centre wellbeing and embrace difference. Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival delegates are welcome to join in sessions as observers.

Madeleine Probst

The lab is directed by Madeleine Probst (Head of Film, Watershed, UK), Miranda van Gelder (Head of Program & Education, Hoogt on Tour, Utrecht, Netherlands) and Mustafa El Mesaoudi (Managing Director, Cinema & Rex Filmtheater Wuppertal, Germany). We are grateful to the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Commission for their financial support. Follow us at #ECBOLAB25