Romanian Film Promotion and Victoria Film Association needed 7,000EUR in order to start the renovation of this old film depot based in Cluj-Napoca. UniCredit Țiriac Bank agreed to support the project with 7,000 EUR.

The depot that once was held by RADEF RomâniaFilm, the Communist network of old cinemas which is still operating less than 30 cinemas in Romania, will be renovated and opened on 8 August for Colours of Cluj open air festival. It will host cultural events in the open air and indoors, with rehabilitation of a hall starting this summer.

This is the first chapter of Save the Big Screen / Salvaţi marele ecran campaign launched recently by the organiser of Transilvania IFF. The website is gathering memorabilia of old cinemas in an attempt to map the history of old cinemas.

From approximately 450 cinemas in 1990, less than 30 have survived. Less than 10 cinemas were renovated in almost 20 years, and during this time the audience dropped dramatically, with 78% of Romanian towns lacking an open cinema. The campaign aims to stop the disappearance of old cinemas and the creation of a network of modern cinemas so that every town with more than 20,000 inhabitans should have at least one open cinema.

"Cinemas converted in the last 20 years into gambling places, exchange offices, churches, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, furniture shops, restaurants for weddings. There was great hesitation and the cinemas moved between RomâniaFilm and city halls. At the moment the cinema issue is like a ball which moves from one government to another, but no one is eager to take big risks," said Tudor Giurgiu who initiated the campaign.