Participation is completely free. Participating venues are asked to screen at least one European coproduction, but everything else, from the number of films to the format and scale of the event, is decided by the cinema itself.
Registered cinemas receive ready-to-use communication materials, including the official poster, logos and social media assets, alongside promotional videos featuring this year's filmmaker ambassadors.
European Arthouse Cinema Day is also an opportunity for cinemas to experiment with formats that may not be part of their usual programme. Flexibility is central. Rather than asking cinemas to reproduce the same programme, European Arthouse Cinema Day provides a common framework in which each venue can respond to its own audience, local context and resources.
In the run-up to 22 November, CICAE is also developing a curated selection of film recommendations together with distributors, sales agents and international partners. These will include special programming opportunities, reduced-price offers and selected previews where available.
Participating cinemas can also join the Arthouse Cinema Meets free webinars, offering practical sessions, case studies and exchange with colleagues from the international arthouse community. Sessions are dedicated to repertory cinemas, alternative distribution, programming, or marketing, for instance.
The wider Arthouse Cinema Hub website offers further resources on programming, marketing and audience development, as well as opportunities for cinemas to exchange programmes and ideas throughout the year.
This year, Pedro Almodovar, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Léa Mysius, Faraz Shariat, Isabelle Stever & Anna Melikova, Valentina and Nicole Bertani, Boots Riley and Anca Damian are supporting the event.
Across its first ten editions, European Arthouse Cinema Day has reached 600,000 spectators in 45 countries, with around 660 cinemas participating annually. The 2025 edition alone brought audiences together for 4,277 screenings and 400 national events, alongside international events and workshops involving cinema professionals from around the world.
Cinemas do not need to have their final programme ready in order to register HERE.
Click HERE for a press release.
