Arthouse Cinema Training

19 - 25 August 2024 in Berlin, Germany

Restart Your Cinema, Join the Arthouse Movement

The CICAE’s annual Arthouse Cinema Training is a one-week intensive programme bringing together arthouse exhibition professionals from around to world to gain in-depth insight into the management of a movie theatre. Taking place in the heart of Berlin, Germany, the training offers participants a chance to get together, form connections, and learn from some of the industry’s leading experts. The world’s only programme of its kind, the ACT provides a unique opportunity to meet and exchange best practices with colleagues from around the globe and become a successful part of the international arthouse community.

The Training offers:

  • In-depth workshops and lectures on innovative arthouse programming, audience development and marketing, data analysis, businessplanning, budgets and fundraising, current technological developments in cinema exhibition, sustainability, as well as diversity,equity and inclusion.
  • Lectures, masterclasses, and get-togethers with filmmakers, festival organisers, funding representatives, advocacy leaders and political decision-makers.
  • Networking opportunities with cinema professionals from across the world.
  • The chance to work on up-to-date case studies and develop individual projects under the guidance of experienced tutors.
  • The chance to explore Berlin’s vibrant cultural scene with a likeminded international group.
  • A digital training kit.
  • Access to the CICAE’s global alum network.

Goals of the Training

  • Supporting arthouse exhibitors in their core challenges, offering knowledge about day-to-day operations and best practices, and the film professionals in better understanding the arthouse exhibition sector.
  • Communicating to the new generation of art house managers the specific knowledge (methods, tools, ideas and contacts) they need for programming, event organisation and management of an arthouse cinema.
  • Offering exhibitors a space where they can reflect on their practices, share their experiences and discover new opportunities in their industry.
  • Providing insight into the know-how and the challenges of the sector.
  • Benefit from the skills of around a hundred top-notch cinema professionals and trainers.
  • Creating a network of contacts and exchanging experiences with other peers.
  • Developping short and long-term projects.

Our Funders and Sponsors

The Arthouse Cinema Training 2024 was generously funded by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, The Senate Chancellery of Berlin, the FFA – Filmförderungsanstalt, the CNC - Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. The ACT 2023 also received the kind sponsorship from MUBI and Comscore.

Enrollment fee: 1,785 Euro (incl. VAT)

The participation fee includes:

  • The sessions in Berlin
  • Training material
  • Hotel accommodation close to the seminar venue at Holzmarkt Berlin for the duration of the training
  • Breakfast and Lunches

    Please note that travel costs are not included in the fee.

Participants and selection criteria

The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Training programme is suitable for:

  • Young exhibitors, programmers and cabin operators of independent cinema theatres
  • Exhibitors planning to change their cinema into an independent cinema
  • Exhibitors planning to (re)open an independent cinema theatre
  • Institutional and other film professionals wanting to understand and develop their skills in the independent exhibition industry. 

Accessibility

The CICAE values diversity and encourages applications from all individuals regardless of cultural background, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or disability. The training venue as well as the accommodation are wheelchair accessible. The CICAE is committed to facilitating the participation of applicants with special needs.

DATES & VENUE

21st Residential Training

19 - 25 August 2024

Holzmarkt, Berlin, Germany

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The applications for the Arthouse Cinema Training 2024 are now closed

Our Funders, Sponsors and Partners
AG Kino - Gilde deutscher Filmkunsttheater e.V.
AG Kino - Gilde deutscher Filmkunsttheater e.V.
Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
FFA – Filmförderungsanstalt
FFA – Filmförderungsanstalt
Der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin Senatskanzlei
Der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin Senatskanzlei
CNC - Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée
CNC - Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée
MUBI Deutschland
MUBI Deutschland
Comscore
Comscore
Starting July 2022, the CICAE has been certified in France by Qualiopi certification standards for its ACT training.
Starting July 2022, the CICAE has been certified in France by Qualiopi certification standards for its ACT training.

Scholarships

Participants are encouraged to apply for financial support with their national or regional funding bodies. Please ask the MEDIA Desk in your country if there are any funding opportunities available. Kindly inform us if you apply to a national or regional fund. The CICAE manages the applications in partnership with the CNC for candidates coming from countries out of the European MEDIA programme.

Prince Claus Fund (Only applicants traveling from and holding passports of countries listed on the DAC list are eligible for funding.)

Belgium / Flanders: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (info in Dutch)

Finland: Finnish Film Foundation

France: Afdas

Germany: regional film funds (information in German)

Ireland: Screen Skills Ireland

Italy: FICE

Lithuania: Lithuanian Council for Culture

Netherlands: Netherlands Film Fund

Poland: Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej (look for “Promocja polskiego filmu za granicą – stypendia”). Contact person: Małgorzata Rucinska, Fundacja Polskie Centrum Audiowizualne

Portugal: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Romania: Romanian Cultural Institute

Spain: Fundae

Sweden: Film Institutet

Switzerland: Federal Culture Office (information in French)

United Kingdom: Creative Skillset, Film Hubs

This list is not exhaustive!

We are committed to offering guidance with both visa and scholarship applications. Should you be in pursuit of funding opportunities, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Contact us

Tel.: +49 30 439 7101 50

The venue: Holzmarkt 25

Assessment Methods & Certificate

The programme is structured taking into account that a combination of different learning styles can offer the best learning experience. It aims to combine through the week acquiring (lectures and presentations), inquiring (participants looking up information for their projects), producing (groups of participants produce a 5-year restart plan of a cinema), discussing (workshop activities during the sessions), practicing (putting together programmes for special events and screenings series) and collaborating (working together in groups to establish their 5-year cinema plans) as learning styles.

The participants of the training programme are asked to work in groups of 5-6 people on a very articulate exercise which is part of the week workshop "(Re)Start your cinema". They have to implement everything learnt throughout the week and pitch it on the last day to a professional jury – as if applying for funding for the opening of a cinema. To prepare for the task, each group is accompanied by a tutor (former participant and cinema professional).

To assess what the participants have learned throughout the week, the workshop leaders, formed by long-time experienced film professionals, evaluate the projects at the end of the week after the pitching, analyzing that the participants have followed the guidelines given at the beginning of the week and that the budget plan presented is consistent and realistic.

Certificate

Participants who attend at least 80% of the lectures and panels, and actively take part in the (Re)Start your cinema workshop, receive a certificate of participation in the training program.

In all editions of the training program, the success rate is 100%.

What they say about the training

“ The fact that you get this diverse group of people from all over the world together to share and discuss their experiences in what is quite a niche industry, that alone is so incredibly inspiring. And on top of that there's the actual program with leading industry experts sharing their knowledge. What's not to love? ”

Ruben Bax, Castellum, Netherlands (Trainee 2024- Berlin Edition)

“ I finished the training now, equipped with practical knowledge and skills for running an arthouse cinema but also inspired to dream bigger. It reaffirmed the importance of community in the arts, and I am looking forward to applying what I've learned to create a space that celebrates independent cinema and nourishes meaningful connections. Thank you for supporting artists like me and facilitating such an opportunity and connection! ”

Ingrid Machado, Solax Film Club, Ireland / Brasil (Trainee 2024- Berlin Edition)

“ CICAE training is a beautiful opportunity to evolve. It starts as a training program and ends up as an inspirational amount of information and networking opportunities that can make a difference when you leave Venice. ”

Bruno Castro, Alvalade Cineclube, Portugal (Trainee 2021-Venice Edition)

“ The CICAE Training is an excellent opportunity to improve and rethink diverse aspects of your arthouse cinema or film club. The project team members are all experienced in the industry, and willingly share their knowledge: every interaction is a benefit - to improve your work, to share ideas and to grow your network. The training's base in Venice is a bonus, offering the chance to enjoy the best of international cinema in a historic and picturesque location. ”

Aderinsola Ajao, Screen Out Loud, Nigeria (Trainee 2020-Venice Edition)

Verbatim Alumni

Video Pills

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More to be found on our YouTube channel

CICAE Training Impact Research

To evaluate the impact of the first 18 editions of the training on its participants and the arthouse cinema sector, the CICAE launched a survey within its alum network.


CICAE Community Area

We are pleased to announce that our community area is finally online and accessible to all our alumni!

You will be able to find there exclusive content for our former Arthouse Cinema Training participants, including reports of our Alumni meetings, as well as job openings and other special offers from our network, for our network. You will also have access to a list of our alumni in order to find information about them and their contact details.

Stay in touch!