Innovation in Action: European Cinema Projects Take Centre Stage in Hamburg • CICAE

From 29 September to 1 October 2026, Futura Cinema, CICAE and FilmFest Hamburg brought together a selected group of European cinema and cultural professionals for an exclusive innovation programme as part of the 32nd edition of FILMFEST HAMBURG and its INDUSTRY DAYS.

Over two days, participants had the opportunity to discover and experience five European innovation projects exploring new approaches to audience engagement, cinema experiences and cultural venues: Route6, Image before Motion, Gamerausch, ravescreen and Be Water.

Presented and tested live across cinemas and venues in Hamburg, the projects placed exhibitors and cultural professionals at the heart of the experimentation process. Each project offered a practical tool, concept or solution for cinemas and cultural venues, exploring different forms of innovation — technological, usage-based, economic and social — and asking how these approaches could contribute to audience development and new exhibition practices.

Rather than presenting innovation as a purely theoretical concept, the programme gave participants the chance to encounter the projects directly and discuss their potential applications within their own cinemas and cultural contexts. The exchange between project teams, exhibitors and cultural professionals provided an opportunity to explore how new ideas could be adapted to different venues, audiences and local realities.

The programme also created space for conversations between European cinema professionals, encouraging participants to share experiences, challenges and ideas around the future of arthouse cinema.

As part of the programme, a CICAE delegation selected a project for a special mention, recognising its innovative approach and potential applicability in the cinema and cultural sector.

The delegation consisted of Thijs Janssen (Eye Museum, Netherlands), Rūta Mašanauskaitė (Kaunas Cinema Centre Romuva, Lithuania), Hatice Özdemirciler (Independent Cinema Office, UK) and Jure MATIČIČ (Mestni Kino Domzale, Slovenia), accompanied by advisors and CICAE board members Mira Staleva (Dom Na Kinoto, Bulgaria) and Marijana Bosnjak (Kinematografi Osijek, Croatia).

The special mention went to Be Water, an immersive project that moved between physical and digital spaces. The experience connected a short animation by Laleh Alipour with a guided visit to a VR cinema and three interconnected digital cinema spaces: an immersive monument virtual gallery, a screening of the animation and a salon for conversation.

The programme created a morning of film, memory, technology and dialogue, bringing together different forms of cinematic experience. It included a post-screening Q&A with Mohammedreza Mazarei, followed by a conversation with Tzewoon Chan, director of Blue Island (2022).

The recognition gave Be Water the opportunity to be presented at CICAE's Arthouse Cinema Meets, a series of free webinars for arthouse cinema professionals that supports capacity building, strengthens the international arthouse cinema network and facilitates the sharing of initiatives and experiences.

The CICAE delegation also recognised another project that particularly caught its attention.

An honorary mention was awarded to Gamerausch, a project working at the intersection of video games and cinema. Its approach highlighted another direction in which the boundaries between different forms of audiovisual culture could be explored and offered a further example of the diverse ideas presented during the programme.

The programme concluded with a cheerful dinner, bringing participants and partners together for further conversations and exchange. After two intensive days of experimentation, presentations and discussion, the evening provided an informal opportunity to continue sharing ideas and reflecting on the experiences of the programme.

CICAE would like to thank Futura Cinema for organising the event and FilmFest Hamburg for hosting the programme as part of its INDUSTRY DAYS.

The Hamburg programme demonstrated the richness and diversity of innovation taking place across the European cinema landscape. CICAE was delighted to accompany the event to explore these ideas in practice and is looking forward to seeing how the projects developed beyond the programme.