Milan, 7 June 2004

"Focus on Europe - Kidflix Special", the 4-day event organised by MEDIA Salles and involving 40 participants of 13 different European nationalities, ended with a final day devoted to cinemas in Prague.
Saturday 5 was, in fact, the opportunity for participants to visit different types of theatres in the heart of the Czech capital: from the Lucerna Kino, a small cinema with a long tradition in the centre of Prague, to the Svetozor Kino, to the Slovansky Dum multiplex, belonging to the Palace Cinemas chain, with the country's only digital screen. Here a workshop was held on strategies for involving schools and drawing young people to the cinema, in particular to see European films. It centred on two approaches: that of Palace Cinemas, outlined by the Director General for the Czech Republic David Horácek, and that of the Irish Film Institute of Dublin, explained by Alicia McGivern.
"It is curious and stimulating", said the Dutch participant Catherine Klaverwijden, "to see how, despite coming from such different situations, we exhibitors find ourselves up against the same problems almost everywhere. Comparing notes is vital for understanding how they can be tackled and to become acquainted with concrete experiences that have helped to solve them".
On Sunday 6, on conclusion of the event, Elisabetta Brunella, Secretary General of MEDIA Salles, talked about the initial results of the research study "Internet and the Cinema", carried out by the Association and involving some European cinemas, and launched a new phase in the research, which will also involve countries that have recently joined the European Union.
The future calendar of MEDIA Salles - which is part of the MEDIA Programme and enjoys the support of the Italian Government - includes Focus on Europe at Cinema Expo International (Amsterdam), with a seminar, to be held on 21 June, devoted to the opening of cinemas in new markets, and the exhibitors' training course "European Cinema Exhibition: A New Approach", to be held in Budapest from 22 to 26 September.

For further information:
MEDIA Salles
Via Soperga, 2
20127 Milano
Tel.: +39.02.66984405 - Fax: +39.02.6691574
E-mail: infocinema@mediasalles.it

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