Europa Cinemas Awards 2017
Bucharest
Since 2002, Europa Cinemas awards three exhibitors whose outstanding work deserves recognition. This year, the Elvire Popesco cinema in Bucharest, the Agrafka and Kika cinemas in Krakow and Lionello Cerri in Milan with his Anteo cinemas are honored.
BEST PROGRAMMING
Cinema Elvire Popesco, Bucharest, Romania (Christophe Gigaudaut, Director of the French Institute of Bucharest, Boglarka Nagy, Programmer)
The Europa Cinemas Award for Best Programming goes to the Elvire Popesco cinema in Bucharest, Romania, represented by its programmer Boglarka Nagy and the director of the French Institute in Bucharest, Christophe Gigaudaut.
This Bucharest single-screen cinema is one of the best members in the Network for its European programming, with excellent results (63.5 % European non-national screenings, 77.6 % European screenings) and more than 20 European nationalities represented in its selection of movies. These exceptional results are also reflected in the admissions: the cinema recorded more than 60,000 admissions in 2016, including 37,000 for European non-national films, or more than 60% of its audience.
The diversity of programming, partnerships, festivals and in general its engagement are at the heart of Elvire Popesco's film policy. The cinema also hosts meetings with directors, debates, and encourages new local talent to express themselves.
Note that the cinema is also particularly dynamic for young audiences. The film education is thus one of the pillars of this cinema which organizes a multitude of dedicated screenings throughout the year, which is all the more remarkable in the Romanian context.
http://www.institutfrancais.ro/
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BEST ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Lionello Cerri (Anteo, Milan, Italy)
The 2017 Entrepreneur Prize is given to Lionello Cerri, Director of the Anteo exhibition company and producer.
In 1979, together with other partners, Lionello Cerri founded the cinema Anteo, which later became Anteo Spaziocinema, and now Anteo Palazzo del Cinema. The cinema Lionello Cerri wanted to create was a multi-purpose space where you could have the best cinema experience, attend concerts and enjoy a variety of cultural events. Today this group has evolved to include all the cinemas in Monza, the CremonaPro multiplex, Ariosto Spaziocinema in Milan, and, from November 2017, the new CityLife Anteo complex.
In 2017, the historical Anteo cinema, a member of the Europa Cinemas network since 1992, has increased from 4 to 10 screens, invested in new spaces in the same building through an avant-garde renovation that leads to the creation of the Palace of the Cinema - Anteo Palazzo del Cinema. This complex, the real lung of the district where it is located, has now more than 1000 seats shared between its 10 screens, a café, a restaurant, a bar, a library, an on demand multimedia room and a space dedicated to children.
In its cinema program, in addition to its commitment to European productions, Anteo dedicates one of its screens to films in the original version, another to the first Italian films.
By 2018, more than 500,000 viewers will be expected at the Palazzo del Cinema.
Lionello Cerri's activity does not stop at the Anteo group - he is also a member of the board of directors of Europa Cinemas; he has been president of FICE (Federazione Italiana Esercenti Cinema) and ANEC (Associazione Nazionale Esercenti Cinema). He is also a producer with his company Lumière & Co.
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BEST YOUNG AUDIENCE ACTIVITIES
Agrafka & Kika, Krakow, Poland (Bogdan Balicki, Director)
The Europa Cinemas Prize for the best Young Audience activity is awarded to the Agrafka & Kika theaters in Krakow, Poland, managed by Bogdan Balicki.
The involvement of Agrafka and Kika cinemas (members of Europa Cinemas respectively since 2012 and 2014) in favour of a cinema dedicated to the youngest is the real DNA of these two places. The cinemas have a total of four screens, one for Agrafka (109 seats) and three for Kika (41, 20 and 12 seats). At the heart of Agrafka and Kika's programming policy are initiatives created by the cinemas, such as the popular Mala Kika ("Little Kika") and KinoBambino with a week-end programme of workshops for the little ones. The two venues also meet Krakow's students by offering their own film education program, Film Academy - Kino z Klasa, which attracted more than 1600 students of all ages in 2016.
Kika is particularly well suited to the youngest, with spaces dedicated to families – the cinema won four times the Polish award for "Cinema most welcoming for children".
One can note also the communication of the cinema which is innovative with a strong presence on social networks and a website dedicated to their youth programming.
In the two cinemas of Balicki, the young audience represents a total of nearly 11,000 admissions for European films, ie 1 European admission out of 4! A result that helps to make Agrafka and Kika real programming models for young audiences in Poland.
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Pictures: Ionut Dobre
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