A fire that broke in the Colectiv club in Bucharest on 30 October 2015 killed 60 young people and injured more than 150, leading to public protests against corruption and the resignation of the Government.

The petition (http://www.petitieonline.com/cinematografele_de_art_din_bucureti_prioritate_cultural) launched on 20 November 2015 and signed so far by more than 500 persons urges the authorities and the Ministry of Culture to consider art house cinemas a cultural priority and thus to consolidate the cinemas with earthquake risk and build a multiplex with at least three cinemas in Bucharest. This multiplex will serve the distribution of art films, European and domestic films.

To date, the petition has been signed by Transilvania Film Festival, One World Romania, Kinodiseea Film Festival, NexT Film Festival, Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest, Anim’est and by Ada Solomon, Cristian Mungiu, Tudor Giurgiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Cătălin Mitulescu, and Alexandru Solomon.

Four main cinemas in Bucharest - Studio, Cinema Patria, Scala and Cinema Pro - will have to close or change location according to a new law prohibiting public activities in buildings with earthquake risk. The decision concerns cinemas, theatres, restaurants, banks, shops, hospitals etc.

The new minister of Culture Vlad Alexandrescu, who was sworn into office on 17 November 2015, stated at his hearing by the culture and media commissions of the Senat and Chamber of Deputies that the consolidation of some heritage buildings hosting cultural institutions is one of his priorities for which he is counting on the “vital” collaboration with the local authorities.