As an extension to its Arthouse Cinema Training programme for aspiring cinema exhibitors, CICAE, the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas, is launching a six-month mentoring programme for senior exhibitors starting this April. Aimed at strengthening the position of arthouse cinemas and their managers, as well as to offer them a space where they can reflect, share their experiences and discover new opportunities in their industry, it is the only international programme specifically dedicated to mentoring arthouse and independent cinema professionals from all over the world.

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The programme is based on three pillars: diversity in film programming and film circulation; green cinema development; and new business models and innovative projects. The industry partners supporting the hosting of the in-person meetings of mentors and mentees are the Seville European Film Festival and the Associació A Bao A Qu (Spain), Sofia Meetings (Bulgaria), and the CineLink Industry Days of the Sarajevo International Film Festival (Bosnia and Herzegovina); in addition, online one-to-one meetings will run from April until September.

“This mentoring programme is exactly the building block that promotes innovation in cinema. Having accompanied CICAE’s ‘Art Cinema = Action + Management’ programme for ten years as a trainer and workshop leader, I had the chance to get to know the curiosity, energy and, above all, the love of cinema of young cinema operators and bring it into my own practices. It’s wonderful that this energy is now being offered to a team of mentors and mentees, and expanding into a model of mutual consultation and support! The future of cinema thus lies in experienced hands that are enthusiastic about cinema,” says Petra Rockenfeller, director of Lichtburg Filmpalast in Oberhausen.

Mira Staleva, head of Sofia Meetings, expresses her enthusiasm about the new partnership revolving around the green-cinema strand of the new mentoring programme: “As Sofia Meetings is focusing this year on bringing green practices and knowledge from other industries into the film business, it's the perfect occasion to also strengthen the green strategies amongst the different players in the value chain. Exhibitors rethinking their practices can have a direct influence on their wider audience, so they are an important addition to our industry programme.”

Exhibitors and programmers of independent cinema theatres worldwide are invited to apply. Submissions are open until 31 March.

More information on the requirements and the content of the programme can be found on CICAE’s website.