Stephanie Candinas: Last News

Ed Meza @edmezavar The lasting effects of the pandemic and skyrocketing energy prices in Europe mean continued hardship for arthouse cinemas in Europe, but some theater chains are finding new ways to survive and prosper, particular when the movies work their magic. That was the takeaway at Zurich Summit discussion between Christian Bräuer, managing director of Berlin-based Yorck Kinogruppe; David Laub, acquistions and distribution executive at New York City-based A24; Stephanie Candinas, co-managing director of Zurich’s Arthouse Commercio Movie AG; and Sierra/Affinity’s Kirsten Figeroid. “The short-term perspective is about gas prices – that threatens us the most,” said Bräuer. “In Europe most theaters survived [the pandemic] thanks to public support. Without public support, a lot of small theaters, arthouse theaters, would have had to close.”

The pressing post-pandemic issue of how to find a theatrical audience for arthouse films was the subject of a morning panel at the Zurich Summit. Among speakers were A24 acquisitions and distribution executive David Laub, Sierra/Affinity exec Kristen Figeroid and Christian Bräuer, MD of top German indie exhibition group Yorck Kinogruppe.