Reshaping the Cinema Experience: Curation, Communication and Community Building

Bologna, Saturday 20 June – Wednesday 24 June

This year, Europa Cinemas and Cineteca di Bologna celebrate 20 years of partnership for the Audience Development & Innovation Lab. Over the past two decades, these gatherings have brought together exhibitors from across Europe and beyond to exchange practices, find inspiration, and imagine the future of cinema together. Few places could be more fitting than Il Cinema Ritrovato, a festival that continues to embody the enduring power of cinema as a shared experience. For myself, and for Cinema Don Bosco of Rome, participating in the Bologna Lab in 2024 opened the door to a deeper involvement with the Europa Cinemas network. Since then, two Communication Boot Camps have brought together cinemas from across Italy to address shared challenges and strengthen their practices. This year, Cinema Don Bosco will also launch the GEN-C project as part of the Collaborate to Innovate programme. Attending the Sofia Innovation Lab 2026 further confirmed what makes the initiative so valuable: it offers cinema professionals the chance to step back, network with peers, and rethink their work collectively. As we enter this anniversary edition, conversations around cinema’s cultural role feel more relevant than ever. The past year has shown us that audiences are hungry for the shared experience that only a cinema can provide. European films can spark conversation, build communities and create an extraordinary impact at the box office and beyond. In this context, Europa Cinemas member venues play an essential role in connecting audiences with the richness and diversity of European and world cinema. This year’s theme, “Reshaping the Cinema Experience: Curation, Communication and Community Building”, reflects where the sector’s energy and imagination are being directed. At a time of overwhelming content abundance, the curatorial voice of independent cinemas has become more important than ever. How can cinemas communicate that identity effectively, both to loyal audiences and to those they still hope to reach? How can they build lasting communities and become indispensable cultural spaces within their cities and neighbourhoods? The Lab will bring together exhibitors for case studies, smallgroup discussions and panels designed to move beyond theory and into practice. Participants will explore how curation can serve as both an artistic and a community-building tool; how communication strategies – from social media to live events – can deepen audience engagement; and how cinemas can become true anchors of local cultural life. Alongside these discussions, the Lab will also create space to reflect on the wider challenges facing the sector, from evolving audience habits to the ongoing questions of financial sustainability.

Fabio Zenadocchio

The Lab is directed by Wiktoria Pelzer (Director and Programmer, Stadtkino, Vienna) and Frédéric Cornet (General and Artistic Director, Cinema Galeries, Brussels), accompanied by Fabio Zenadocchio (Director, Cinema Don Bosco, Rome).