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VENICE 2018 Industry

Swedish cinema Fyrisbiografen wins Europa Cinemas' first Innovation Prize

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- The newborn award, which celebrates standout innovative projects and approaches by network cinemas, has been announced at Venice

Swedish cinema Fyrisbiografen wins Europa Cinemas' first Innovation Prize

Europa Cinemas announced today at the 75th Venice Film Festival that the cinema Fyrisbiografen (Uppsala, Sweden) has won their inaugural Innovation Prize. Initiated with the support of Creative Europe-MEDIA, the Prize celebrates standout innovative projects and approaches by network cinemas.

The prize was handed over to Olle Agebro, exhibitor of Fyrisbiografen, by director Abderrahmane Sissako, president of the Innovation Prize Jury, and Evelyne Gebhardt, vice president of the European Parliament, during the European Film Forum at the Venice Film Festival. The Prize consists of an award of €10,000, and a commitment from the winner to use the money to invest further in the cinema’s innovation policy.

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The winner was chosen by a Jury of four film experts: Stephan De Potter (co-CEO and distributor, Cinéart); Boglarka Nagy (executive director at CICAE); Laura Houlgatte (CEO of UNIC) and Jean-Marc Lalo (architect at Atelier Architecture Lalo).

The jury stated, "open for more than a hundred years, this cinema has managed by taking an innovative approach to reinvent itself and completely restructure its activities to the huge benefit of both the public and European arthouse cinema. Inspired by the approach taken by start-ups, this two screen cinema put data analysis at the heart of its modernisation process, revising completely its programming, its communication with the public and the work of the cinema staff. Involving the entire Fyrisbiografen team and with the support of a specialist digital agency, the project may become an example of best practice for numerous cinemas around Europe. Maintaining a rich and diverse European programme of films, the cinema increased its attendance by 50% in one year - at a time (2017) when Swedish box office takings were on the slide. This project, supported by the Swedish Film Institute is the subject of many features in Swedish publications and presentations at professional symposia. In awarding the Prize to this medium sized cinema, we want to celebrate the daily efforts of all the exhibitors across the Europa Cinemas network in adapting their work to the digital age, while ensuring a better circulation of European films outside their country of origin.”

The Innovation Prize is awarded in the context of Europa Cinemas’ overarching objectives to support the circulation of European films, especially beyond their national borders, develop a network of cinemas that can set up joint activities at a national and European level, support initiatives aimed at attracting young audiences and encourage innovation in the promotion of films and communication with the audiences.

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