An appeal to support the „We are coming back to the cinema” campaign

The return of viewers to cinemas after their opening and improvement of the image of this place – these are the main objectives of the promotional campaign being prepared. The director of the Polish Film Institute Radosław Śmigulski appealed in a letter to television broadcasters for media support.

„The dramatic situation in which cinematographies found themselves around the world after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is unparalleled in 125 years of cinema existence. The suspension of film production, the closure of cinemas and widespread home isolation led not only to a complete paralysis of the audiovisual market, but also to the inevitable change in viewers’ habits. The basic source of entertainment in the current situation has become the Internet and there are many indications that it will not be easy to convince viewers to change their habits. Even if the epidemiological threat is already excluded or significantly minimized, it will be difficult for viewers to overcome the barrier of fear of participating in screening caused by the events of recent months.

In the coming months, the government’s decision is expected to open cinemas that will temporarily operate under a specific sanitary regime. To make it easier for cinemas to restart after a period of forced closure due to a pandemic for several months, the film crisis team at the Polish Film Institute developed a special promotional campaign under the working title „We’re going back to the cinema.” Its goal is to encourage viewers to return to the cinemas and rebuild the image of the cinema as a place that is safe and guarantees the highest quality of entertainment, as well as experiences related to the reception of film art.

I am asking you to join this campaign and to support the media with a promotional campaign prepared by members of the Polish New Cinemas Association, which the Polish Film Institute financed and assumed its patronage. The television broadcast reaches the majority of potential viewers and thus enables the dissemination of information about the possibility of a safe return to the cinema. The entire film community, including cinema operators, distributors, producers and creators got involved in the campaigns or confirmed their willingness to participate, We form a chain and now, as never before, we realize how dependent we are on each other. The return of viewers to the cinemas is a condition for the smooth functioning of the entire cinematographic system in Poland.

Let’s remember that cinema is the first and natural place of contact with a film in which you can experience deep emotions and shared experiences in a special way. We must not allow viewers to reject this important and valuable form of entertainment. The time of national quarantine will pass with the epidemic, and habits developed during this period will stay with us for a long time. Let’s prevent the collapse of cinemas and the 125-year tradition of experiencing a film work.

Let’s act together!”

Radosław Śmigulski