CICAE in Cannes 2026: Defending Independent Cinemas and Strengthening the Global Arthouse Community • CICAE

Independent Cinemas Are Vital Pillars of (Film-)Cultural Diversity and Resilience That Must Be Sustained: Will Resists Political Pressure

Gathered in Cannes, members representing more than 20 countries worldwide, reaffirmed that independent cinemas remain essential cultural venues that ensure audiences’ access to diverse works, sustain artistic freedom, and enable a pluralist and sustainable audiovisual ecosystem. CICAE members jointly emphasised their determination to resist increasing political pressure on exhibitors across regions and defend curatorial autonomy. In a context marked by political polarisation, accelerating market concentration, technological disruption, and increasing geopolitical tensions, CICAE members called to preserve and strengthen the national and international funding frameworks that enable independent cinemas to fulfil their vital cultural mission across the world.

Europe Needs a Strong and Stable Funding Framework for its Arthouse Cinemas and Independent AV Ecosystem

Regarding the ongoing discussion concerning the AgoraEU funding scheme that is set to replace, among others, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme in the EU’s upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework, CICAE reiterated the need for a strong, stable, and accessible European funding structure that is tailored to the needs and mission of arthouse cinemas and the independent audiovisual ecosystem and works in close cooperation with the industry.

Market Consolidation Must Be Reversed

The CICAE stressed the importance of preserving plurality and diversity of market actors within the audiovisual sector and of measures to halt and reverse the ongoing concentration of market power among major global media players. The CICAE called, once again, on market authorities, in Europe and worldwide, to stop the proposed Warner–Paramount merger. Failing that, robust remedies must be put in place to prevent a further erosion of competition, ensure equitable market access for independent cinemas and distributors, and safeguard cultural diversity across the audiovisual ecosystem.

"Arthouse cinemas are unique cultural achievements, and Europe has a duty to protect and champion them. The future AgoraEU programme must keep cinema at its heart – with dedicated and protected funding that recognises cinemas as independent cultural institutions, free in their autonomy of curation and independent from political influence, and indispensable to Europe's audiovisual industry as well as its economic, cultural and democratic resilience.“ says CICAE President Dr Christian Bräuer.

"That resilience is under increasing pressure. The growing concentration of the audiovisual market poses a direct threat to the very diversity and independence that defines our European audiovisual ecosystem. We firmly believe that these developments demand a collective response, which is why we are more committed than ever to our strong network of partners – across Europe and beyond."

Regarding the increasing pressure put on arthouse cinemas across the world, CICAE Vice-President and AFCAE President, Guillaume Bachy states: “We stand united in our commitment to preserve arthouse cinemas as spaces for independent cultural expression. Political pressure cannot and will not succeed in limiting what arthouse cinema can do. In Cannes, we once again see how interconnected the international arthouse ecosystem is and how vital stable cultural frameworks are to sustain it. Protecting cultural specificity and ensuring reliable and independent support mechanisms is essential if we want European cinema to continue thriving in all its diversity.”

The CICAE continues to expand its activities to enable international collaboration across the sector. The associations numerous projects include the development of the Global Day of Action of independent cinemas, the European Arthouse Cinema Day, returning for its 11th edition on 22 November 2026 to take a joint stand for diversity, equity, and democracy; the Arthouse Cinema Training (24-30 August, in Berlin, Germany), which each year unites exhibitors from over 30 countries in Berlin, and the expansion of the Arthouse Cinema Awards, in which juries of cinema exhibitors at international festivals around the world shine a spotlight on films with special cultural and artistic value. The platform Arthouse Cinema Hub enables cinemas around the world to share best practice and highlight their work and initiatives (www.arthousecinemahub.com). Various additional meeting and lecture formats are being developed and realised to enable the exchange and connection of the sector throughout the year.

President Christian Bräuer represented CICAE at numerous industry events during this year's Festival de Cannes. At the annual "Rencontres nationales Art et Essai 2026" hosted by AFCAE during the Festival, Christian Bräuer and CICAE Vice-President Guillaume Bachy met with Gaëtan Bruel, President of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) for discussions on the evolving European Arthouse landscape. Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux joined the gathering as a guest – a longstanding tradition that demonstrates Cannes' ongoing commitment to arthouse cinema.

Cinema is back at the center of the conversation – that was the unmistakable message of this year's reception hosted by the arthouse cinema associations during the Cannes Film Festival.

The German AG Kino – international arthouse cinema association CICAE, along with the Gilde, French AFCAE, and the UK's Independent Cinema Office (ICO) had invited guests to the Cinemas Club, located directly in the Palais des Festivals. Over 200 guests from exhibition, the film industry, funding bodies and politics accepted t invitation – he among them Charles Rivkin, CEO and Chairman of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

It is perhaps the only industry reception in Cannes that puts the big screen front and center. Demand was high again this year. The attendance of MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin alongside EMEA Director Emilie Anthonis underscored the reception's international reach. Also among the guests were Jackie Brenneman, Executive Director of the American Film Market (AFM), and Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director of the Art House Convergence.

On the European side, attendees included Mathias Holst, President of Europa Cinemas, alongside Secretary General Fatima Djoumer, and Tanja Meissner, Director of the European Film Market (EFM). The realignment of the MEDIA Programme under the AgoraEU umbrella is a defining issue for the sector – reflected in the strong turnout from national funding bodies, including German Federal Film Board (FFA) President Kirsten Niehuus, Peter Dinges and Jolinde Sawahn.

The growing alignment between cinema associations and film festivals was equally visible in the guest list: the leadership team of Filmfest Munich, Julia Weigl and Christoph Gröner, as well as Malika Rabahallah, Director of Filmfest Hamburg, were among those present. Many distributors took the opportunity to share first impressions of the festival's highly anticipated competition lineup – because that, ultimately, is what it all comes down to: getting films to audiences in cinemas.