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 hosting the in-person meetings of mentors and mentees are the Sevilla European Film Festival and Associació A Bao A Qu (Spain), the Sofia Meetings (Bulgaria), and the CineLink Industry Days of the Sarajevo International Film Festival (Bosnia and Herzegovina), in addition to online 1:1 meetings running from April until September.

“This mentoring programme is exactly the building block that promotes innovation in cinema. Having accompanied the "Art Cinema = Action + Management" programme of the CICAE for 10 years as a trainer and workshop leader, I had the chance to know the curiosity, energy and above all the love of cinema of young cinema operators and bring it into my own practice. It’s wonderful that this energy is now offered to a team of mentors and mentees expands into a mutual consultation and support model! The future of cinema lies thus in experienced and cinema-enthusiastic hands,” says Petra Rockenfeller, director of Lichtburg Filmpalast in Oberhausen.

Mira Staleva, head of Sofia Meetings expresses her enthusiasm about the new partnership 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 actors of the chain value. 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 March 31st.

More information on the requirements and the content of the programme can be found on CICAE’s website: http://cicae.org/en/international-training