Deadline Date: July 09, 2026
The Network of European Cinemas Support Programme supports a network of European cinema operators that screen a significant proportion of non-national European films, helping to increase audiences, strengthen the circulation of European works, and enhance the cinema-going experience across Europe.
The program focuses on encouraging cinema operators to screen non-national European films through incentives and collaborative projects, increasing audience interest in European films including among young cinema-goers, supporting cinemas in adapting to changing market conditions through innovative audience engagement approaches and partnerships, promoting the exchange of best practices and cross-border collaboration, contributing to policy dialogue through data collection and dissemination, increasing audiences for European works, improving sustainability and inclusion within cinema operations, and fostering innovation through enhanced cooperation among cinema theatres.
The initiative aims to strengthen the role of European cinemas in promoting cultural diversity and ensuring broader access to European audiovisual works. By supporting collaborative networks of cinemas, the program seeks to increase the visibility and circulation of non-national European films while creating a more engaging and modern cinema experience for audiences.
Funding will support activities that encourage cinemas to attract new and diverse audiences, particularly younger viewers, and adopt innovative methods to improve audience outreach and engagement. The program also encourages partnerships with film industry stakeholders and local cultural institutions to expand the impact of cinema-based cultural activities.
Applications are expected to include strategies that contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible film industry while promoting gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness. Through these efforts, the program seeks to strengthen the long-term resilience and relevance of European cinema theatres.
The total budget available for the Network of European Cinemas action is €17,467,470.
The action is open to European cinema networks. A cinema network is defined as a group of European independent cinemas that carry out joint activities related to screening and promoting European films through a legally constituted coordinating entity. To be eligible, the network must represent at least 400 cinemas located in at least 20 countries participating in the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe Programme. The coordinating entity must operate a communication and information system connecting participating cinemas.
Eligible applicants must be legal entities, either public or private bodies, established in a Creative Europe Participating Country, including EU Member States, EEA countries, and countries associated with the Creative Europe Programme. A European independent cinema may be a company, association, or organization operating one or more screens in a MEDIA strand participating country, where film exhibition constitutes the principal activity of the organization or relevant division.
For more information, visit Creative Europe Desk Ireland.
