Eight Questions about the 8th European Arthouse Cinema Day • Arthouse Cinema Hub

The ambassadors are prominent supporters of the European Arthouse Cinema Day. Each edition has been supported by personalities from a range of professional backgrounds, including actors, directors, producers, and critics.

They are passionate advocates for cinema and its power to inspire, challenge, and entertain. All ambassadors serve as industry influencers to highlight and bring awareness regarding all the activities of the European Arthouse Cinema Day: special events in cinemas, screenings, films and more. 

For the 8th edition of the European Arthouse Cinema Day, filmmakers İlker Çatak, Matteo Garrone and Isabel Coixet took part as ambassadors. With their unique contribution to European cinema, we thank them for their support to highlight the richness and diversity of European film on this special day.

This year, in cooperation with Arras Film Fest, Matteo Garrone premiered his film "Me, Captain" on Sunday 12 November 2023. The screening was followed by a Q&A that was streamed to French and Italian cinemas. You can discover all the events later in this post. 

The European Arthouse Cinema Day is a great opportunity to create an event onsite that is unique to the regular program, supported by local and national strategies to raise awareness towards European film.

Cinemas also get the opportunity to stream live events with ambassadors in their theater. The events will be announced early, so cinemas all over the world can align their program for the day and enhance their program on the European Arthouse Cinema Day.

Besides the main ambassadors of course all cinemas are welcome to collaborate with local influencers as well. To create awareness in the local community it can be helpful to involve cinema-goers to function as micro influencers. Micro influencers can be renowned people or you can activate someone of your own cinema going community to fill in that role on behalf of the cinema. Personalizing your cinema brand can be helpful in all matters of communication - Not only the European Arthouse Cinema Day.

Taking part is easy: To participate in the European Arthouse Cinema Day, cinemas can easily engage by completing a straightforward registration process on the dedicated website, artcinemaday.org.

This involves providing basic information about the cinema, such as name and location. Once registered, the cinema's details will be featured on the event's interactive map, accessible to a global audience visiting the website.

This interactive map not only serves as a comprehensive guide for audiences seeking participating cinemas but also contributes to the event's visibility and showcases the widespread engagement of cinemas across the globe.

Importantly, there is no participation fee for cinemas, making it an inclusive opportunity for diverse cinema establishments worldwide to be part of this cultural celebration.

The communication materials of the European Arthouse Cinema Day will focus around one main artwork created with an artist associated with European film. The artwork of the 8th edition was created by Signe Baumann, Latvian filmmaker, artist, writer, and animator.

As a cinema you will have access to a download portal where you can find international materials in English as well as translated marketing materials for your local communication. If there is a language missing, you can always reach out to the team organizing the European Arthouse Cinema Day and they will create specific assets for your region.

The European Arthouse Cinema Day is a chance to enhance your regular program with specials for the audiences. In general, adding a talk before or after the screenings, will be a great way to make each film special on that day.

Most cinemas participating in the European Arthouse Cinema Day also provide the audience with some culinary benefits, such as free snacks and drinks. This way you will create a welcoming atmosphere in your cinema and bring people to start talking about the screenings and film. This can also be a great sales argument when marketing the event. Here are some ideas to create themes around your selection:

• Best films of the year: Screen "missed" films from the past year
• Themed film series: F.e documentaries/films on political topics, climate, environment, society, family, etc. 
• Short films
• Retrospective / classics
• Focus film screenings: Films from a specific country, on a specific topic, etc.
• Previews of upcoming films
• Top picks of your staff

The organizers of the European Arthouse Cinema Day also suggest including films that are nominated for the European Film Awards by the European Film Academy, the LUX Audience Award by the European Parliament and A-listed titles with sale deals. 

For example, this year, the list of nominees for the LUX Award 2024 is composed by: "20,000 Species of Bees" by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain, 2023), "Fallen Leaves" by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, 2023), "On the Adamant" by Nicolas Philibert (France, Japan, 2023), "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood" by Anna Hints (Estonia, France, Iceland, 2023) and "The Teacher's Louge" by Ilker Çatak (Germany, 2023).

Yes! On the day itself, all social media channels of the European Arthouse Cinema Day will repost your mentions on social media. Furthermore, working together with cinema associations across the globe, all local press will be informed about the event and will receive a report after it.

Sharing is most important to shine a light on all the local events, that are bringing people and cinemas together on that day: We ask all participating cinemas to not only mention the EACD channels but also to document the local action for us to use as highlight post during the year and hand to the press to enhance the buzz around the action and strengthen the importance of the event.

Previous events by the organizers included for example a screening of a film classic in Berlin, a premiere and Q&A in France, and an interview with a director in Italy. These events contributed to the success of the European Arthouse Cinema Day.

Celebrating the European Arthouse Cinema Day in Berlin at Kino International - and the 25th birthday of the film-classic LOLA RENNT (1998). Actor Joachim Krol, camera man Frank Griebe and director Tom Tykwer joined the sold out screening and remembered the shoot with Franka Potente. 

At the Cinéma Le Méliès in Montreuil, LITTLE GIRL BLUE premiered. The film and the live Q&A with the director Mona Achache and actress Marion Cotillard were streamed to French cinemas.

Screening X SEMPRE ASSENTI the Cinema Beltrade celebrated the European Arthouse Cinema Day inviting the director of the film Francesco Fei. The varied program on that day also involved screening short films from 10 EU countries in collaboration with EUNIC: "Animazione in corto – i talenti europei"

In South Korea, Emucinema in Seoul organized several screenings from 10th to 15th November. The programme of the following films also included some open talks with the audience:

• Close Your Eyes by Victor Erice
• Kidnapped by Marco Bellocchio
• Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World by Radu Jude
• You Have to Come and See it by Jonas Trueba
• Who's Stopping Us by Jonas Trueba
• Three Floors by Nanni Moretti
• Godland by Hlynur Palmason
• The Murderer Lives At Number 21 by Henri-Georges Clouzot
• The Mystery of Picasso by Henri-Georges Clouzot

Many cinemas created unique events at their cinemas. Here you can find some great examples on how to create a unique experience around the European Arthouse Cinema Day.

• A wonderful European Arthouse Cinema Day at the Cinema Elios Carmagnola was celebrated with the Italian comedy "C'è ancora domani" by Paola Cortellesi, "Il libro delle soluzioni" by Michel Gondry, and a kid's screening of the short film "Yuku et la fleur de l'Himalaya" with free popcorn.
• Moody and cozy cinema atmosphere: The Cinema Union in Bucharest, Romania, screened "Anatomie d'une chute" and "Jeanne du Barry" on European Arthouse Cinema Day.
• Special screening at Zhovten cinema introducing Ukrainian viewers to the variety of European films: Screening"Fallen leaves/ Kuolleet lehdet" with a mini-lecture by film critic Andriy Alferov. The topic of the lecture is «Creativity of Aki Kaurismäki».
• French evening with movie: "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" at Městské kino Nový Bor, Czech Republic with an accompanying program: music, an exhibition of Art by František Dvořák and tasting French specialties (wine from Bordeaux, pastries, baked snails with parsley, escargots, Quiche, many cheeses, Tarte Tatin...)

Yes! The European Arthouse Cinema Day will again be celebrated in November 2024. The date will be announced at the beginning of 2024.

All cinemas interested can already register to not miss out on news and registration deadlines. If you participated in this year's edition, please send your pictures to the organizers to support the communication for the 9th European Arthouse Cinema Day in 2024.

The event encourages cinemas to create unique experiences and attract new audiences. In preparation, also next year an online call will be held to share information with participating cinemas inviting everyone to showcase the diversity of European cinema for the 9th edition in November 2024.