The European Arthouse Cinema Day is the oldest, largest, and most impactful global initiative dedicated to independent cinema. Its 10th edition will return on 23 November 2025, bringing together audiences, cinemas, and film professionals from around the world to celebrate and defend the values of the arthouse movement.
It’s not only cinemas that come together on this day - it’s also filmmakers, cultural leaders, and audiences around the world. This year, the European Arthouse Cinema Day is joined by filmmakers Mascha Schilinski, Aki Kaurismäki, Sean Baker, Samantha Quan, Teona Strugar Mitevska, Carla Simón, Flóra Anna Buda, Karim Aïnouz, and Maryam Touzani as ambassadors. The Ministers for Culture of France, Germany, and Poland, Rachida Dati, Wolfram Weimer and Marta Cienkowska as well as Sabine Verheyen, First Vice President of the European Parliament, serve as the European Arthouse Cinema Day’s patrons.
“The European Arthouse Cinema Day is a brilliant global initiative that unites the diverse facets of the arthouse scene. It showcases our collective strengths and reminds the world that arthouse cinemas are vital cultural pillars, embodying the values that make our societies unique. On this day, we not only celebrate the diversity of independent filmmaking and cinema as a unique collective and discursive space. The day also serves to strengthen the competitiveness of this unique ecosystem of independent filmmakers, producers, festivals, world sales, distributors and cinemas,” said CICAE President Dr. Christian Bräuer.
Initiated by the global non-profit International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas (CICAE), in collaboration with national arthouse associations and partners across the audiovisual industry and with the kind support of Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages, FFA, CNC, and Europa Cinemas, this anniversary edition will take place in over 45 countries, introduce exciting new programmes and collaborations, and feature the largest group of ambassadors ever supporting the event.
Expect bold international programming, newly participating regions, and innovative initiatives that mark a new chapter for European Arthouse Cinema.
As always, CICAE is proud to collaborate with longstanding partners from across the industry to provide participating cinemas with event and film recommendations, discounts, workshops, marketing and event assets and much more.
In a time marked by war, rising populism, and growing nationalist isolationism, all of which threaten the fabric of cross-cultural exchange, the 2025 European Arthouse Cinema Day will reaffirm the Arthouse Movement's political voice more powerfully than ever.
Registrations for cinemas are open and free. Cinemas, distributors, and programmers from all over the world are welcome to join. Whether they’re planning their own programme or looking for support and curation advice, the event’s team is here to help.
In its largest edition to date on 17 November 2024, 3,000 screenings of European films took place in over 600 cinemas in 46 countries on all continents.
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