News

This year, the winners are:

• BEST PROGRAMMING:  DVORANA KULTURNOG CENTRA BEOGRADA (BELGRADE, SERBIA)

• BEST YOUNG AUDIENCE ACTIVITIES: CASABLANCA (OLDENBURG, GERMANY)

• ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR: ANDRES KAUTS, TARTU ELEKTRITEATER (TARTU, ESTONIA)

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The BEST PROGRAMMING AWARD goes to DVORANA KULTURNOG CENTRA BEOGRADA in BELGRADE, SERBIA. Founded in 1963, DVORANA KULTURNOG CENTRA BEOGRADA located within a cultural centre is one of the film theatres with the longest tradition of continuous activity in the city. Besides its rich weekly programming, the film theatre also hosts and co-organizes some of the most important film festivals in the country (THE AUTEUR FILM FESTIVAL, BELDOCS…) as well as thematic screenings (GOETHE FEST, DAYS OF CONTEMPORARY DANISH CINEMA…). Highly devoted to the cinematic arts, in 2016, the centre opened a film gallery, an exhibition space dedicated to the exploration of film and visual arts. Diversity is at the core of the cinema's identity, influencing both its film programming and activities. This commitment extends to events, workshops, and discussions, creating a vibrant space for all audiences, while providing a bilingual space in both Serbian and English. A member of the network since 2006, the cinema has featured more than 80% of European programming over the last year, displaying the richness of cultural perspectives with films representing more than 20 nationalities on its screen.

The BEST YOUNG AUDIENCE ACTIVITIES AWARD goes to CASABLANCA in OLDENBURG, GERMANY. A member of the Network since 1996, the cinema - currently managed by Tobias Rossmann - has a longstanding commitment to programming films for young audiences. Since 1981 Casablanca has been hosting the OLDENBURG CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL every November, running alongside the local children's and young people's book fair. The cinema is actively involved in broadening its audience base by featuring substantial content in their programming specifically designed for children. Additionally, they offer a diverse array of meaningful and creative activities tailored for this particular group of filmgoers through activities such as the SCHOOL CINEMA SERIES and CINÉFÊTE, a French school film festival designed for different learning level and age groups, SCHULKINO WOCHEN, YOUTH FILM DAYS and SEMANA DE CINE ESPAÑOL. Their young audience events and special screenings are regularly organized in partnership with other institutions and are accompanied by lectures and workshops.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR is ANDRES KAUTS, exhibitor at ELEKTRITEATER in TARTU, ESTONIA and a leading figure of the current Estonian exhibition landscape. Head of the COLLABORATE TO INNOVATE project “NEW COLLECTIVE INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE FOR SMALL-SIZE CINEMAS”, Andres Kauts has demonstrated his commitment to pioneering activities with a true impact on the local, regional and national environment. In 2021, responding to the very first call for applications for Europa Cinemas Collaborate to Innovate scheme, supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, he initiated a project involving four Estonian cinemas aimed at developing a new collective and innovative software tailored for small-size cinemas. With financial support from Europa Cinemas, the initiative became operational by the end of 2022 and is consistently expanding. Through his entrepreneurial endeavours on the film exhibition landscape, he has demonstrated resilience and a strong commitment to fostering cinematic culture. His involvement in organizing numerous events and guest screenings, coupled with his participation in the Midnight Sun Film Festival organizing team, reflects an entrepreneurial spirit dedicated to creating vibrant cultural experiences and expanding the reach of the European film scene.

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Links: 

https://www.kcb.org.rs/premises/dvorana-kulturnog-centra/ 

https://www.casablanca-kino.de/ 

https://elektriteater.ee/

Picture:  

Dvorana Kulturnog Centra Beograda, Facebook

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