Join the worldwide network of arthouse cinemas
The CICAE is a network of networks and a bridge between festivals and cinemas. The association's network enables the exchange of experience and innovation between member cinemas. In order to ensure their important work, CICAE appeals to local, regional, national and international public bodies to support arthouse cinemas. It draws the attention on its members, their everyday work and their projects through its website and social media channels.
Benefits of the CICAE Membership
- Members of the CICAE from the world can take part in one of the juries giving out the Arthouse Cinema Award in international film festivals (among which Berlinale, Cannes, Sarajevo and Sevilla). This award fosters the film’s diffusion and recognition and helps it reach its audience.
- They participate in the European Arthouse Cinema Day, screening premieres and classics and organising events to celebrate arthouse cinema and European films.
- Members can request a CICAE member card, which gives access to all CICAE cinemas worldwide (1 free ticket for the card holder and an accompanying person).
Be active part of the network
Membership categories
The Confederation’s membership includes founding members, active members, special members, associate members, supporting members and honorary members. Members are represented by a duly appointed natural person.
Members A
National or regional associations
Active members: arthouse cinema federations or associations formed as non-profit bodies, where members’ resources are not mainly made up of government subsidies.
Members C
Festivals and other associations
Special members: festivals, associations or government bodies supporting the goals of the CICAE
Members B
Individual cinemas
Active members: arthouse cinema that do not yet belong to a national association or federation, provided they meet qualifying conditions.
Members D
Natural persons or others
Associate members: natural persons or legal entities undertaking a specific action of cultural diffusion through film without representing a cinema
Eligibility Criteria
- Arthouse cinema theatres are those cinemas recognized as such by relevant national institutions; where there is no nationally-recognized “arthouse cinema” category, this denomination shall apply to those theatres which screen arthouse films and consistently strive to raise the quality of the cinematographic experience (from both the technical and artistic perspectives), thus engaging larger audiences.
- Arthouse cinemas applying individually as B members should check first if there is a national arthouse association representing them in their country and within CICAE.
- Cinemas that join one of the national associations, already member of the CICAE (see the full list here), automatically become members of the international confederation of arthouse cinemas.
Admission Process
- Submission of the membership request - fill in the application form (you can find it here in the download area) and send it to info@cicae.org with pictures and a description of your cinema/institution and activities (for categories B and C), or a presentation of your motivation to join the CICAE (cat. D);
- Membership request is sent to the Board of members which evaluates it, accepts or denies it;
- During the General Assembly (normally in May of every year), the membership requests accepted by the Board are ratified and the cinema/institution becomes officially member of the CICAE;
- Active members can vote when the membership fee is paid.
Documents to download
For questions, contact us.
Membership fees (2024)
- Cat. A - cinema theatres members of a national arthouse cinema association
> for associations with less than 300 cinemas: €39;
> for associations with more than 300 members, a fee of €39 for each cinema with a local/national support of more than €10,000, and a fee of €19.50 for each cinema with a local/national support of less than €10,000. - Cat. B - cinema theatres in countries without a national art cinema association: €80
- Cat. C - festivals, associations, distributors: €550
- Cat. D - natural persons or legal entities undertaking a specific action of cultural diffusion through film, without representing a cinema or a festival: between €100€ and €550 (upon evaluation of Board of directors)
For submitting your request and for more information please: