20. May 2012

The Travelling Cinema of the 21st century

During the panel discussion on May 30th at 5 p.m. will be shared Austrian and Polish experiences on Travelling Cinema.

EU XXL Die Reihe successfully brings cinema to the countryside

In the fall of 2006, EU XXL Die Reihe started as a pilot project in four Lower Austrian municipalities. It aimed at filling the population of rural areas without a regularly operating movie Theater with enthusiasm for the domestic as well as for the European cinema. The necessary ingredients were obvious and given: a local partner, the good old DVD, a projection screen, funding by the state of Lower Austria and a sponsor, Raika NÖ-Wien. The team of EU XXL Die Reihe viewed countless films, clarified rights, had posters and programs printed and finally succeeded in creating a very cinema-like atmosphere in libraries, guesthouses, community halls or culture cellars. What seemed to flop the first year – merely 800 people visited the travelling cinema – slowly but steadily turned into a success story. After six years of work, lately more than 7000 people in seven states watched the movies of their choice in their village, in the travelling cinema of the 21st century.

For more information visit the EU XXL Die Reihe.

Poland light-sensitive (Polska Światłoczuła)

The project Polska Światłoczuła is spreading out all over the country, discovering special places in the process in order to create a unique atmosphere for film screenings: in prison, in churches, in small forgotten opera halls, in cultural centres – often in the present of film makers. The screenings – feature films, documentaries and animated movies – encourage to debate on cinematic art and in broader terms also on Polish culture. Polska Światłoczuła aims to bring closer what directors are working on for a long time, sometimes for years, and what then can only be seen for a few moments in the major cities’ cinemas, but never makes it to smaller villages. Top-class digital projectors are used to show the digital copies of the films, achieving a quality comparable to the best movie Theaters in the big cities. At this point, the project is scheduled to exist for one year only; however, it should find its way into becoming a permanent entry in the calendar of important cultural events.

For more information visit the Polska Światłoczuła.