The conference kicked off with a welcome speech by EDCF President Cathy Huis in ’t Veld Esser, followed by an overview of current and upcoming industry trends by Patrick von Sychowski, Vice-President of EDCF.
A panel discussion on the Polish cinema exhibition landscape followed, featuring insights on audiences, recent successful local and international films, and cinema-going performance. Speakers included Tomasz Jagiełło, Managing Director of Helios; Oldrich Kubista, Director of Operations at Cinema City Poland; Magdalena Lewicka, Board Member and Finance Director of Multikino; and Marlena Gabryszewska, CEO of the Polish Arthouse Cinemas Association.
Afterwards, Daniel Krátký, Chairman of the Czech Association of Cinema Operators (APK), shared an overview of the Czech cinema landscape, focusing on market infrastructure, successful local films, and findings from a recent audience survey on digital habits.
Ukraine was then in the spotlight, with stories of resilience and strength shared by Roman Romanchuk, CEO of Multiplex—the country’s largest cinema chain—and Natalya Baydan from Planeta Kino, who joined the discussion by phone.
Sonia Ragone from UNIC presented an overview of the latest industry figures across Europe, highlighting the strong performance of diverse local titles across the region. She concluded on a positive note, pointing to a promising 2026 slate and strong results across Europe in the first two months of the year.
The second part of the day began with a technical presentation on cinema loudness metrics, followed by an update from ICTA delivered by Araceli Vaello of CinemaNext. This was followed by a panel discussion on extended dynamic range in cinemas, with contributions from Barco, Sharp, and Christie.
Joanna Stankiewicz from Cinema Without Barriers delivered an inspiring presentation on initiatives to improve accessibility in cinemas for visually impaired and hearing-impaired audiences, as well as people with cognitive disabilities.
The day concluded with a panel on the future of the cinema-going experience, moderated by Alice Tentori (Digima), featuring Matt Basford (Regal Cineworld), Sonia Ragone (UNIC), Marynia Gierat (Kino Pod Baranami), and cinema architect Piotr Gierałtowski.
After a full day of panels and discussions, Helios Blue City hosted a memorable reception for networking, featuring Polish musicians.
The second day began with a guided visit to Kinoteka, a historic eight-screen cinema located in the iconic Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. The staff showcased the venue’s diverse activities, from school screenings to the many events and festivals hosted each month at this flagship cinema.
The event concluded with a visit to Kino Iluzjon, managed by the Polish Film Archive—an arthouse cinema renowned for its rich programming of retrospectives and classic films.
Congratulations to EDCF for organising a successful event, which brought together around 120 cinema professionals from across Europe!