Nova Cinema (Brussels)
Address#1: cinema / 3 rue d’Arenbergstraat / 1000 Brussels / Belgium
Address#2: office / 14 rue d’Arenbergstraat / 1000 Brussels / Belgium
Tel & Fax: +32 (0)2 511 24 77
Email: nova at cinema.org
Contact: Katia, Guillaume, Gwen, Laurent, Phil…
www.nova-cinema.org
1 screen, 200 seats
Tech: 35 mm, 16 mm, super8, video (VHS, DvD, BetaSp, digi Beta, DV…)
History: The Nova opened officially on the 23th of January 1997. Kino Trotter and others associations joined for a 2 years project and decided to rehabilitate the old “Art & Essai” Studio Arenberg . (the name came from the star “Super Nova” which got a short life but an unforgettable light) It took 6 weeks to transform the location (were hundreds of furnitures were stored since Studio Arenberg had moved) into an efficient movie theater with brand new Scope screen, old red theatre seat, a balcony and even a genuine orchestra pit. The walls stay bare to remind the building story, and replace the Nova as an urban manifesto. Underneath the theatre itself, we created a bar with good artisanal beers for decent prizes, showing the Nova is also a convivial place !
However, after a lot of changes and stories, the collective continues his way and still screen films that could not be seen in Bruxelles and in Belgium.
Organisational structure: Nova is a non profit association (ASBL). Since the beginning, led by an open group of volunteers at all levels, without hierarchy. However, one person is hired half time to work on the financial aspects. Since 2008, 5 administrative and technical tasks are remunerated between 6 & 10 hours/week, over a 3-4 months period: it allows the volunteers to share knowledge and avoid starvation.
Editorial Line: Often a main topic per program:: issues like school, prison, psychiatry, intellectual property, … It can be also a country: India, Romania, Hungary, China, Lithuania… or a city : Naples, Marseille, Brussels… or a collaboration with festivals like Pinkscreens (gay and lesbian), Offscreen (genre, offbeat, cutting edge films), Filem’on (for children) … Sometimes, a film release with short topics sections…
Regular appointments: Open Screen, Ears open, Midnight screenings, Microboutiek, Prima Nova, …
During the summer: urban outdoor screenings with our PleinOPENair event
Regularity: 4 days a week / 30 weeks a year. The program is published every two month (before 2010, it was monthly).
Other stuff: Exhibitions, live soundtrack, concerts, “micro evening”, performances, table d’hôtes, debates, meetings with filmmakers, symposiums, …
Promotion: Internet (“blog” website), press, our own paper program mailed in Belgium and other part in the world, flyers, posters, “word of mouth”…
Audience: Between 2 and 250… Average 30 years old
Funding: 60 % through subsidies from both Flemish and French speaking communities and from the city + 40 % through tickets sales and bar