Digitisation of Cinemas

Current call: 19/2011

Deadlines:

15 Sep 2011

expired

Overview
Eligibility
How to apply
More information

Funding is available to support the digitisation of European cinemas that show a significant percentage of non-national European films. The scheme funds the side costs linked to the purchase of digital projectors.

Available budget for 2011: €2 million. The Commission reserves the right not to allocate the entire budget.

Applicant can apply for the digitisation of one, two or three screens. The financial contribution from the MEDIA Programme takes the form of a lump sum, of maximum €20,000 per screen and €60,000 per applicant. The subsidy covers the side costs related to digital transition, excluding the cost of the digital projector and server.

The grant can only be allocated once for each screen. The award of a grant does not establish an entitlement for subsequent years.

Eligible companies

European independent cinema operators - companies, associations or organisations with a single or several screens where the screening of films is the principal activity. The applicant organisation should be owned, whether directly or by majority participation, by nationals from countries participating in the MEDIA Programme and be registered in one of these countries.

Applicant organisations must:

Be 'first run' cinemas (programming European films in the first run, within a maximum period of twelve months after the national release)
Have been open to the public for a minimum of three years
Possess a ticketing and entry declaration system
Have at least one screen and 70 seats
Have presented 520 screening per year for permanent cinema (i.e. cinemas in operation for a period of at least six months per year), 300 screenings for single screen theatres (30 screenings per month) and at least 30 screenings per month for summer /open air cinemas (cinemas in operation for less than 6 months per year)
Have had at least 20,000 spectators in the previous twelve months or 20,000 cinema admissions where a normal ticket price was actually paid.

Applicants who have or will receive a projector from third party integrator as a result of signing a virtual print fee (VPF) deal will not be eligible for support.

Eligible action
Support to the side costs linked to the purchase of digital projectors meeting the content security requirements for Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) compliance to be installed in a cinema complying with all the eligibility criteria.

Support can be requested for only one projector per screen and for a maximum of three screens per cinema. The projector must not be purchased before the submission deadline.

Eligible film programming
To be considered as eligible, the applicant cinemas must have screened in 2010 a minimum of 50% European films of which at least 30% are European non-national. A film is considered as European if it complies with the MEDIA programme's definition of such films. Films that have already been classified are listed in the European Movie Database. Films consisting of advertising, pornographic or racist material or advocating violence are not eligible.

Please read the Guidelines and key details documents before completing the application documents: