access>CINEMA, the resource organisation for regional cultural cinema exhibition in Ireland, is delighted to announce the launch of MyCinema – a new digital platform aimed at supporting independent cinemas and arts centres. The platform will enable local cinemas to complement their existing theatrical experience with a range of new digital audience engagement and content features.
MyCinema is designed to reconnect audiences with their local cinema after two years of disruption. The website – MyCinema.ie – offers a new video-on-demand platform, as well as a central hub to highlight some of the new & exciting in-venue events happening in participating cinemas. These include virtual reality experiences, big screen gaming, audience choice films, and event cinema screenings.
MyCinema is the central pillar of access>CINEMA’s work on the EU-funded CINNOVATE project – a partnership between arthouse cinema networks in Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden, aimed at re-engaging audiences for the big-screen experience. The platform has been designed by Cologne-based VOD and digital distribution experts Rushlake Media.
MyCinema gives partner cinemas access to new tools to connect directly with their audience, while also offering a new space to share their in-house recorded content. Partner venues in Ireland will host a series of special events in the coming months, all promoted and supported via the new website. Events already in the works include screenings of exciting new virtual reality experiences and audience choice film screenings during the Christmas and New Year period. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
The VOD platform, meanwhile, is curated to bring the best of European, world and independent cinema to viewers. A selection of high-quality event cinema content will also be available for viewers to rent. A share of the revenue from each rental will go directly to the viewer’s chosen cinema. The launch line-up includes recent European cinema highlights such as Blerta Basholli’s award-winning debut feature Hive and the acclaimed German drama System Crasher.
MyCinema is initially launching in a pilot phase, in partnership with several of access>CINEMA’s network venues. The website has been designed so every participating venue can have its own tailored version of the platform with a unique subdomain and venue-specific branding. access>CINEMA plans to bring more venues on board over the coming months.
Huge congratulations to the team at access>CINEMA and all participating Irish theatres for launching MyCinema.ie! I’m really looking forward to seeing how Irish cinemas will experiment with a range of innovative events, screenings and online offers to ultimately re-engage film fans for the cinema-going experience. Whether Event Cinema, cinema-enabled VOD, in-theatre gaming and VR – it’s all happening at participating local theatres and we hope to onboard more locations in the coming months.”
Jan Runge, Project Coordinator – CINNOVATE
Providing access to a wider range of cinema as a shared, cultural experience for people in their local communities has always been at the core of our work. These past two years have, of course, been extremely challenging for both our network and the industry in general, but it has also resulted in cinemas trying new ideas and experimenting in very creative ways.
MyCinema and CINNOVATE will allow us to complement and strengthen our network’s traditional working model by using emerging innovations to reconnect with existing cinema audiences, whilst also reaching new audiences of all ages.
Maeve Cooke, Director – access>CINEMA
MyCinema is now live and accessible to all viewers in the Republic of Ireland.