Palma City Council approved yesterday, Wednesday 27th July, a new permit that will allow the Xarxa Cinema Association to stop paying rent for the cinemas of the Ciutat Cinema, which they manage in s’Escorxador.
José Hila, the mayor of Palma, announced this news yesterday at a press conference attended by the councillor for Culture, Antoni Noguera, the councillor for Participation and Internal Government, Claudia Costa, and the president of Xarxa Cinema, Paul Zabel. In this way, Cort will cede the Cine Ciutat premises free of charge for the next ten years. This means guaranteeing the continuity of this emblematic cinema in the city of Palma, where auteur films, screenings for film festivals and films in their original version are shown.
Cort provides a solution to the bankruptcy of the Cine Ciutat, which has been in danger due to the economic difficulties caused by rent payments, which reached almost €6,000 a month. “It is a good solution that has been possible thanks to the involvement of many people,” said the mayor of Palma, José Hila. This free concession will be for 10 years, from 1 January this year until 31 December 2032. “A very important step to guarantee the continuity of the Cine Ciutat”, declared Paul Zabal at the conclusion of the press conference yesterday.
It should be noted that the Cine Ciutat has suffered financial difficulties, especially during the hardest months of the pandemic, where it had to resort to a crowdfunding campaign (micro-patronage) to be able to continue operating. Now, thanks to this small respite, the citizens of Palma will continue to have an alternative cinema offer in s’Escorxador.
When making the decision to cede the venue free of charge, the City Council has taken into account the fact that Xarxa Cinema is a non-profit association that has stood out since its beginnings for promoting citizen participation, education and social and environmental action through film and culture. Its work is possible thanks to the efforts of many citizens and this initiative has been an inspiration for many cultural projects and associations around the world, which are committed to a participatory and horizontal model.
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