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In 2025, Europa Cinemas and Cineteca di Bologna are partnering for the nineteenth consecutive year and invite you to be part of the Audience Development & Innovation Lab entitled ‘Rethinking Cinema in Changing Times: From Local Engagement to Global Politics, Sustainability and AI’, from Saturday 21 to Wednesday 25 June 2025.

This edition will be led once again by Madeleine Probst (Head of Film, Watershed, Britol, United Kingdom) and Mustafa El Mesaoudi  (Managing Director, Cinema & Rex Filmtheater,  Wuppertal, Germany), who will be joined this year by Miranda van Gelder (Head of Program & Education, Hoogt on Tour, Utrecht, Netherlands).

Case studies, small-group discussions and panels will help professionals and exhibitors to develop concrete solutions to specific challenges, while offering plenty of opportunities to share and present their ideas. This lab is a place for exchange, where participants can discuss their obstacles and difficulties, and spend time with their peers to reflect on their own methods and share expertise.

Topics will be informed by the issues you raise in your application but will broadly cover the following areas:

• Designing more accessible, inclusive and dynamic social spaces
• Dealing with politics; navigating whether and how to present (or not present) certain films/events
• Creating events that bring a return on investment
• Sharing practical approaches to the environmental crisis 
• Curation and the (re)discovery of cinema’s past
• Successfully supporting smaller films in exhibition and distribution
• The use of AI; practical opportunities and ethical challenges for film exhibitors 
• Developing work cultures that centre wellbeing and inclusion 
• People management, mentoring and skills development

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

If you are interested, please complete this document before Friday 9 May.

Please note that simultaneous translation won't be provided during the Lab.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

HOTEL ROOM BOOKING: Europa Cinemas and Cineteca di Bologna will book your room in a hotel in the city centre and will cover the room costs (single room) for one person per exhibition company, for three out of four nights. The fourth night has to be covered by the participant. If you would like to book further rooms or extra nights, we can take care of the reservation at our reduced rates (upon availability).
The single room rate will be 110€ per night (breakfast included, 6,5€ tourist tax excluded).
Double room rate will be 120€ per night (breakfast included, 13€ tourist tax excluded).
Participants will receive the hotel booking form with the confirmation email.

TRAVEL EXPENSES: Travel expenses to Bologna are to be paid by each participant. When booking, please try if possible to arrive on Saturday 21st June before 2.00pm (the lab starts at 3.00pm) and depart on Wednesday 25th June after 2.00pm. However, please DO NOT PURCHASE your ticket before we have officially confirmed your participation.

MEALS: Dinner on Saturday 21st June as well as lunches on Sunday 22th, Monday 23th, Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th June are organized and paid by Europa Cinemas.

LIVE STREAMING ON YOUTUBE

Follow live the Bologna Lab! In order to satisfy the great interest in the Lab and allow all the European exhibitors and professionals not present in Bologna to follow the main sessions and the case studies, we are proposing a live-stream of the lab from Sunday 22 to Tuesday 24 June on our Youtube channel.

If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Fatima Djoumer, CEO 
Tel. +33 1 42 51 53 70, e-mail: fdjoumer(at)europa-cinemas.org   

Mathilde Narros, Project Coordinator – Italy & Malta 
Tel. +33 1 42 71 83 64, e-mail: mnarros(at)europa-cinemas.org  

Noémie Levadoux, Project Coordinator – Germany, Austria & Liechtenstein
Tel. +33 (0)1 42 71 83 72, e-mail: nlevadoux(at)europa-cinemas.org

Céleste Franchomme Quenton, Project Coordinator – Média
Tel. +33 (0)1 42 71 83 31, e-mail: cfranchomme(at)europa-cinemas.org