Open Cinema

Our Story

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Open Cinema Lab

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Our Projects

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Open Film Studio

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Our Team

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Open Cinema International

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OPEN CINEMA enables any community to have a cinema or make a film. We coordinate an international network of community cinemas, a range of participatory and advocacy filmmaking programmes, and create pathways for excluded people into education and employment.


“You need a bit of laughter and comedy in your life. People get down in the dumps and this cheers you up. It’s a good meeting point…some people come here because they have nowhere else to go.”

– John (OC Member at St. Patrick’s)

ABOUT OPEN CINEMA

>>>Covid-19 update: we wish everyone reading this the best of health and safety for you and your communities. Open Cinema depends on people being able to gather in community spaces. Because of lockdowns in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic and Baltic countries, our operations are currently at a standstill. Read more in the blog post from our CEO here.>>> 

Open Cinema enables any community have a cinema or make a film, and builds pathways to education and employment. Since 2009, we have launched film clubs in challenged communities, and now operate a social franchise across Europe. The venues have received hundreds of experts from the film industry, from universities and companies in a dynamic range of fields. The filmmaking programmes have now produced almost a hundred participatory and advocacy films.

Welcome to the Foundation website. You can follow us via the links below, or get in touch on the Contact page, to find out how we can help achieve the goals of your community and advance the lives of your participants.