Waking up to the sudden news that Cinerama has been saved – it felt like nothing more than a dream. The doors no longer have to close on January 1st, and IFFR is secured for 2026. We are incredibly happy about that.
KINO has managed to strike a temporary deal with VolkerWessels, for which we congratulate them. But it’s precisely in that temporary nature where the sting lies.
As an action group, we decided to take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves: where do we stand now?
We would have liked to join forces to put more pressure on VolkerWessels. That way, we could have checked off all our goals:
• ✅ Prevent short-term demolition & preserve the cinema function – Cinerama will, at least for now, remain open temporarily.
• ❌ A deal focused on long-term preservation instead of a rental contract – to avoid the risk of a death trap scenario – there is still no guaranteed sustainable future for Cinerama.
• ❓ A “Cinerama of the people of Rotterdam,” through collaboration with various investors and crowdfunding – still unclear
• ❓ Safeguarding diversity in identity and programming within Rotterdam’s arthouse cinema landscape – still unclear
As an action group, we remain committed to the long-term preservation of Cinerama – both the building and its function as a cinema – and to holding the involved parties accountable for the maintenance obligations that have been ignored for years. We are eager to continue this work alongside the valuable networks we’ve built over the past months with city council members and partners from the sector.
Preservation is more than just a temporary deal. We look forward to seeing renovation plans and hope for a shared vision that prevents Cinerama from ending up as either a company meant to fail or a high-rise apartment complex. With 32,000 signatures and strong support from across the city, the message is clear: Cinerama stays for now – and must stay for good.
