ABC Cinema

Info

A vintage Brussels movie theatre from the '70s

Geschiedenis

The ABC “cinema-spectacle” has an huge potential.
Its infrastructure and location lend themselves perfectly to maintain the building’s theatrical function and turn the former ABC into a sustainable and vital participation and meeting place for film, music and other arts.

Though Brussels has dozens of disused movie theatres, the ABC is a particular case. It’s still fully equipped as a cinema hall and remains largely unchanged since its date of construction. The genuine seventies style oozes atmosphere. The theatre’s modest volume makes the idea of a reboot all the more realistic, as new activities can be organised without enormous refurbishing or reconstructing works. It holds an unique opportunity.

When news suddenly came up that the building was in danger of turning into yet another faceless snack bar or shop on the central Brussels North-South axis; members of Cinema Nova, Offscreen/vzw Marcel and La Rétine de Plateau joined forced on a project to save the place.

It’s an insane project. In a few weeks time a whole legal structure is created to take on the rental contract and provide all rental fees for a whole year: the time deemed necessary to provide a healthy start for the cultural project before it can take over the reins. The Cineact foundation was founded in all urgency and launches an appeal for donations to help finance this engagement.

Join us in our mission to preserve this piece of Brussels heritage and transform it into a vibrant cultural hotspot. Thanks to your input, this cinephile dream will soon come true !

"Le Nova est une salle de cinéma ouverte à la fin de janvier 1997 en plein centre de Bruxelles, et dont la programmation est dédiée aux films et vidéos de productions indépendantes. Le cinéma Nova n'est donc pas un écran commercial, c'est une association sans but lucratif gérée par un collectif d'individus travaillant de manière entièrement bénévole. Le Nova est sans doute devenu le point de référence, en Belgique, des approches alternatives, non conventionnelles ou simplement différentes dans le domaine audiovisuel, sa notoriété ayant dépassé les frontières du pays."