Downtown cinema in western Romania city to be refurbished

Studio Cinema in downtown Timişoara, a city in western Romania, will be refurbished and turned into an art cinema.

The venue closed down 25 years ago but a new project, supported by the French Embassy in Romania, aims to bring it back to life.

The architectural concept for the cinema was presented on May 13, at the end of the French Film Festival in Timişoara. Two cinema halls will be set up in the building, a café will also open, while the rooftop is set to host a terrace and an open-air screenings.

Timişoara City Hall has signed a EUR 150,000 framework agreement with the French Embassy, the French Institute and Grupama for the drafting of the feasibility study and of the project.

“We will add the funds needed to turn this cinema that was abandoned almost 30 years ago into a landmark cinematheque for our city. I am convinced that around 2020 we will have a functional and attractive cinematheque. We will hold there festivals,” Timişoara mayor Nicolae Robu said, quoted by Adevarul.

The value of the investment needed for the refurbishment will be determined once the study regarding the building’s resistance is over.

Michele Ramis, France’s ambassador to Romania, explained that the target is to have the cinema open in 2021, when Timişoara will be a European Capital of Culture.

The French Embassy in Romania was also involved in the rehabilitation of the Elvire Popesco cinema in Bucharest, part of the French Institute ensemble. “The Elvire Popesco cinema works very well and I think we can create in Timişoara a replica of the Bucharest hall. The French Embassy supports cultural diversity. We known that Timişoara has cinema halls in the two malls but an independent cinema, promoting European film, auteur film, is needed,” the ambassador said, quoted by Adevarul.

(Photo: Cinema Studio Timișoara Facebook Page)