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CANNES 2017 Market

NEXT explores the necessity of innovation for independent cinemas

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- CANNES NEXT: At the “Extending the Cinema Experience” conference organised by Europa Cinemas, attendees discussed how to keep the moviegoing experience fresh

NEXT explores the necessity of innovation for independent cinemas

The NEXT Pavilion is the most innovative place at the Cannes Film Market, and despite the fact that it is dedicated almost exclusively to virtual reality (VR) this year, it is also giving more “traditional” media, like movie theatres, the opportunity to present their more innovative aspects. A perfect example of this was the “Extending the Cinema Experience” conference organised by the Europa Cinemas network.

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Michael Gubbins (Sampomedia), who moderated the conversation, started his speech by presenting the key social impact that a cinema itself and the whole cinema experience can have on a community. His stance, which is also based on the research that he carried out for his survey “New Approaches to Audience Building”, is that it is important to plug the cultural gaps that may exist in a society by positively occupying real social spaces and transforming them into cultural hubs, such as a movie theatre. For an independent cinema, apart from innovating architecturally, it is equally important to curate a programme around the people who visit it, to communicate with the audience and, more importantly, to create a connection that will prevent the loss of the next generation of audience.

Europa Cinemas’ Claude-Éric Poiroux also underlined the importance of innovation for small local cinemas. Today it is no longer enough for a cinema to be a mere cultural landmark in the urban environment or a rival of the expanding multiplexes. Branding has become extremely important, too, along with the social connection with a younger local audience. Poiroux emphasised, “If we don’t innovate, we won’t have an audience – hence we should shut down.” He also mentioned that in China, independent local cinemas have been inspired by Europa Cinemas’ network and are trying to create their own, similar platform.

Speaking of innovation, Berni Goldblat, the owner of Cine Guimbi in Bobo-Dioulasso – the second-largest city in Burkina Faso – explained the extreme impact that a movie theatre had on a society that needs to be re-introduced to the medium. Guimbi’s top priority is creating a local audience that can enjoy the presence of a hub and learn from it. Coming back to Europe, Edouard Meier of Cinema Galeries in Brussels analysed its plan of transforming an old cinema into a modern boutique theatre with two screening rooms and a specially designed space dedicated to exhibitions that include retrospectives of acclaimed filmmakers. This powerful and dynamic 360-degree marketing case is also making the leap to VR, as the team is organising the Brussels Experience VR Festival in association with UGC.

Finally, Deborah Allison, of the UK’s Picturehouse Cinemas, focused on the strategy it uses to attract people and how it opened up its screening rooms to different content, such as satellite transmissions of opera or stage plays. Also, she suggested that a perfect “built from scratch” cinema would include at least four or five screens of different sizes, and incorporate boutique screening rooms that offer a more welcoming environment. The last important factor in her view is to integrate food in order to offer the audience a fuller experience.

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