The existence has been shaken for several of the country's small local cinemas in recent years. To get the business to work, the actors have had to be creative.
The grant came at the last minute. With 200,000 kronor in loss support from the municipality, Folkets Bio Royal in Luleå was saved from closure last autumn. This after a period of economic crisis caused by the pandemic and significantly increased local rent.
"Hurray. A day of joy! Now we're taking a sigh of relief, lifting our gaze, and sailing into the future!" wrote the cinema on social media.
The Luleå cinema is not alone. Several smaller cinemas in the country have struggled with the economy in the wake of the pandemic.
Went Bankrupt
Like Lindesberg's cinema, where the future looked uncertain with increased demands for self-financing for the municipal company that operates the cinema. Another is Lilla Edet Bio, which had to close last autumn after the association that operated the cinema went bankrupt.
But there is still activity at all the cinemas. As early as December 2023, the cinema in Lilla Edet reopened, operated by the new owner Peter Gustafsson, who also runs cinemas in Kungälv and Stenungsund.
People are eager to go to the cinema. After the pandemic, when we lost the children's audience, many want children to experience the cinema.
Lindesberg's cinema, on the other hand, was granted 700,000 kronor by the municipality in the winter to operate the business in 2024. After a few months of uncertainty about continued financing, the news came in June that the cinema will receive support for another three years.
It feels incredibly fun. Now we can start planning long-term. You can't get profitability from film screenings when you only have one screen, says operations manager Sharon Almström.
"Very Cautious"
It has been difficult to make Lindesberg's cinema profitable.
We have been very cautious because it has been difficult to plan when you don't know what the year will look like. We wouldn't have been able to continue running the cinema without the support we got now.
But it's not enough to just show films to make the business work, as collaborations with external actors are necessary for both Lindesberg's cinema and Edet Bio.
It's important to have more revenue streams since the municipality has tight finances, says Sharon Almström.
Edet Bio is also run with the help of collaborations. There is no sponsorship, but they sell advertising space and corporate tickets, and rent out entire performances to companies. Peter Gustafsson has also brought in market thinking to the film selection.
We run the cinema regardless of whether we have one or a hundred visitors and show films that work locally. What customers want.
+ There has been a weaker recovery in cinema visits in Sweden, compared to the rest of Europe. This is particularly noticeable among older age groups.
+ The decrease is most pronounced among women, where the proportion who went to the cinema at least once a quarter has decreased from 36 to 20 percent.
+ Cinema visits in Sweden were nearly 30 percent lower in 2023 compared to 2019.
+ Young people, on the other hand, continue to go to the cinema, and for them, the main driving force is the social aspect, the cinema environment, and seeing films when they are new.
Source: Swedish Film Institute
