Festival CinEast - 2025 and 2026 editions and year-long activities

ongoing

The CinEast festival is an annual event showcasing the cinema and culture of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Its main mission is to promote CEE cinema & culture to audiences in Luxembourg and beyond. Over the years, the festival has become a key cultural event in the country (the second-largest film festival) and one of the top four worldwide dedicated to CEE cinema. To ensure its long-term future, it is essential to build on the progress made in recent years by focusing on two key areas: developing our audience potential and strengthening the organising team. A European-level support has a crucial importance in order to enhance the circulation of CEE films and promote European values. During the next two editions, our key objectives are: 1) Broaden the festival’s audience Our key strategies in that area focus on high-quality programming, year-long screenings, developing activities for young audiences, strengthening the online platform, developing cross-border outreach and targeted promotion. 2) Diversify and enrich the programme We plan to maintain the current number of films and screenings while adjusting the curatorial approach. Maintaining high-quality programming has always been our top priority, however, we are planning to introduce several innovative elements, including a more event-based programming. 3) Expand year-long activities Despite Luxembourg’s limited size, we see the potential for more CEE films in local cinemas (both regular distribution & special screenings, including for schools). 4) Strengthen organisational stability A crucial goal in the coming years is to ensure the festival’s long-term stability by reinforcing our core team - a crucial step in building a resilient and well-structured organisation. 5) Serve as a platform for fostering social diversity, cross-cultural dialogue, and advocacy for democracy. 6) Strengthen industry collaboration and the network of festivals to enhance international outreach.