News

The Sofia Innovation Lab will take place from Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 March 2023. Open to all European exhibitors and entitled "Moving forward: Reviewing old habits and exploring new models" this Lab will welcome 31 exhibitors from 15 different countries.

Led by Javier Pachón (Executive Director and Head Programmer, CineCiutat, Palma de Majorca, Spain) together with Marijana Bosniak (Manager and Programmer, kino Urania, Osijek, Croatia), our lab is organized in the framework of the Sofia Meetings (Sofia International Film Festival). Lab participants will have the opportunity to share approaches and find practical solutions to some of the big questions facing the film sector such as: How can we attract audiences back to European films as trends and expectations have changed? Ticketing, membership and pricing: what new marketing strategy could we implement? How do we create new bonds with the audience through technical innovation? With rising concerns about our impact on the environment, are there more sustainable solutions for the exhibition sector? How to develop an innovative and collective project? Where to find ideas and inspiration?

The live-streamed sessions will include a diverse range of topics such as: programming, marketing and communication, optimization of means and tools, cinema experience, eventisation, Collaborate to Innovate projects, sustainability, inclusion and diversity.

Timetable for the live sessions (indicated in CET):

Thursday, 23 March 2023 - Programming, marketing and communication

Keynote & SESSION 1 – Beyond programming: How to create demand (curatorship and discovery)

8.30 – 9.00 am
Keynote: Javier Pachón (CineCiutat, Spain) – The need of resetting your mindset

9.00 – 10.00 am
SESSION 1 – Beyond programming: How to create demand (curatorship and discovery)
Kristi Porila (Thule Kino, Estonia) –Partnership with distributors for strong programming
Kinga Plicht (Gdynia, Film Centre, Poland) – Opening up cinemas to youngsters
Alicia Nieto (Cines Renoir, Spain) – Using new technologies (podcast “Puedo hablar”)
Short Q&A

10.15 am – 11.15 am
SESSION 2 – Marketing and communication strategies to reach out to new audiences
Ida Hauge Johannessen (Vega Scene, Norway) – Loyalty programme “Vegavenn” & better Mondays
Jana Trnková (Světozor, Czech Republic) – Social Media strategies
Marijana Bosniak (kino Urania, Croatia) – Niche targeting
Züleyha Azman (KINO Rotterdam, Netherlands) – KINO's digital marketing strategy
Short Q&A

1.00 – 2.00 pm
SESSION 3 – Optimizing our means and tools
Andres Kauts (Tartu Elektriteater, Estonia) – Operational efficiency with a new Collective Innovative Software
Eva Demeter (TISZApART Cinema, Hungary) – How to fund and budget special events?
Javier Pachón (CineCiutat, Spain) – Organising ourselves through technology
Short Q&A

Friday, 24 March 2023 - Cinema Experience

10.15 am – 12.00 pm
SESSION 4 - Rethinking the cinema experience, the theater environment and services
Eva Demeter (TISZApART Cinema, Hungary) – Moziklikk Mobile application
Balazs Nagy (Corvin, Hungary) – Imperceptibles: getting the users to go on a hunt
Valerio Carocci (Cinema Troisi, Italy) – Shift from pirate to legit cinema. How to interact with the audience in different spaces at Cinema Troisi?
Short Q&A

1.00 – 2.00 pm
SESSION 5 - Enhancing the cinema experience: event management
Valerio Carocci (Cinema Troisi, Italy) – Cinema out of the box: when other art forms boost the film experience
Martyna Pałczyńska (Gdynia, Poland) – Events for kids: Fairy Tales & Holidays
Christos Ringas (Athinea, Greece) – Cinema with pets: “The four legged friends of our Cinema”
Short Q&A

2.15 – 3.30 pm
SESSION 6 – Collaborate to innovate: Building partnerships with cinemas and third parties
Alicia Nieto (Cines Renoir, Spain) – Viridiana: challenges in coordinating a collaborative project with 32 partner cinemas
Justė Vyšniauskaitė (Kaunas cinema centre "Romuva", Lithuania) – Rising Cinema: a New Generation of European Film Ambassadors
Mirona Radu (Cinema Muzeul Taranului, Romania) – Europe Forward Cinema Collaboration
Short Q&A

Saturday, 25 March 2023 – Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion

9.00 – 10.00 am
SESSION 7 – Running a sustainable venue
Marijana Bosniak (kino Urania, Croatia) – Keeping track of multiple projects in a small team
Javier Pachón (CineCiutat, Spain) – Making the most of our team: passions and productivity
Wojtek Kampa (Kino Pod Baranami, Poland) – How eco-friendly can a café bar be?
Short Q&A

10.30 am – 12.00 pm
SESSION 8 – Diversity & inclusion: who is missing?
Piotr Szczyszyk (Centrum Kultury ZAMEK, Poland) – “Cinema without barriers”
Janeta Henzele (Kino Bize, Latvia) – "Black voices": diverse cinema stories
Ophelia Hertel (Broadway Filmtheater, Germany) – “MimoPlus”: bringing attention to senior audiences
Short Q&A

2.00 – 3.30 pm
SESSION 9 – LAB DEBRIEF & RETURN STRATEGY
Actions lab participants plan to take back to their venue. How might the Europa Cinemas network help participants develop your ambitions? Share key learning & obstacles with the rest of the group.