For the first time in the history of the European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF), the organisation held its annual conference in Italy. The two-day event, held 26-27 February, saw over 125 participants from more than 15 countries, from the United States to India and from throughout Europe. It took place at one of the most beautiful movie theatres in the “Bel Paese” – the renowned ARCADIA Cinema in Stezzano and Melzo, just outside Milan. The program also included a visit to the headquarters of Cinemeccanica, the century-old Italian company cinema equipment manufacturer and service provider.
“We were incredibly honored to host the EDCF 2025 Convention in our cinemas: as being the first digital cinema site in Italy since back 2000, we have been following EDCF’s initiatives since its inception, 25 years ago” said Laura Fumagalli, Head of Marketing and Events at ARCADIA Cinema. “Our deep thanks go to both EDCF and ANEC (the Italian Cinema Owners Association) for the unparalleled collaboration in organizing the event. The topnotch line up of presenters, moderators, panelists sharing their insights on interesting topics and inspiring discussions has been invaluable.”
Referencing the ARCADIA Cinema’s Sala Energia in Melzo, the cinema’s internationally acclaimed auditorium known for delivering a technologically advanced moviegoing experience, Fumagalli added, “Hopefully, the communal passion for our beloved industry, together with the Energia coming from our venues, will make this event memorable in years to come. That’s our sincere hope.”
As Fumagalli noted, ANEC actively supported the conference and its technical education goals. “This represented a strategic step for the Italian cinemas and allowed the AnecLAB format to be merged into an international event, involving discussions between cinema professionals and training on the themes of innovation” explained Simone Gialdini, Managing Director of the Italian trade association. The event was also the perfect occasion to launch the Italian version of the UNIC 2020 publication “How to Design a Cinema Auditorium” by Rolv Gjestland, printed and distributed to the participating exhibitors with the title “Come progettare una sala cinematografica.” ANEC’s aim is that other European exhibitor associations may be inspired, translate it in their local language and distribute it.
“In an era in which innovation is daily, continuous training and awareness of the tech possibilities are the basis of the success of companies operating in this sector,” said Gialdini. “Moreover, the constant growth of the market towards a new balance confirms the need to innovate as well as modernize our cinemas”.
Opening the discussion and confirming that the cinema business is in good health, was Tim Richards, Founder and CEO of Vue Entertainment, whose The Space Cinema chain operates in Italy, opened the conference with a keynote presentation. His speech focused on the strategic choices aimed at attracting more and more cinema viewers. From the new concept of self-service bars designed to eliminate queues at the counters, to the selection and distribution of foreign films that lack visibility in the United Kingdom, like the Italian title “C’è ancora domani” (“There’s Still Tomorrow”), Richards confidence finally points to a full recovery after the post-COVID and post-strike standstill. “The entire industry must be ready to ensure the best possible experience for the audience, especially looking towards future releases, particularly starting from 2026, ” suggested Richards.
From a local perspective, Francesco Di Cola, Sales and Screen Content Director at The Space Cinema, added “We have always paid meticulous attention to audio and video quality in our auditoriums. Technology has to constantly enhance the audience experience. Our goal is using smart technology and artificial intelligence to offer the customer as much freedom as possible. The cinema experience starts at home selecting a movie and booking a seat and continues seamlessly in the lobby, at the bar and into the theater”.
As one might imagine, given the EDCF’s longstanding mission, most of the conference panels focused on new technologies available for cinema owners – now or in the near future. “As an exhibitor, it was amazing to share quality time with industry integrators, manufacturers and professionals from post-production and distribution. Sharing our vision about the impact of LED screens and how they empower exhibitors to the multi-use of auditoriums was our small contribution to this ever-changing industry” said Juan Garcìa, Technical Support and Operations Manager at Odeon Multicines which, in Spain, manages more than 10 LED screens in cinemas. “This event made me realize how necessary it is for the future to raise the bar for our quality standards and make technologies like high dynamic range (HDR) more accessible for any kind of release, both from a technical and a commercial perspective.”
Charles CJ Flynn of CinemaTestTools delivered a technical update from Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), which is helping standardize new technologies across the global industry, while Julian Pinn, CEO of SAWA – Global Cinema Advertising Association, presented some audio developments for advertising. Both panels were deeply engaging though were especially appreciated by attendees with a technical background.
An executive on the managing board of Notorious Cinemas, one of the more interesting emerging cinema chains in Italy, was grateful the 2025 annual EDCF conference allowed for networking so that the industry professionals in attendance could exchange ideas and opinions on different aspects of the business. “For young technical staff approaching the field, this is a very positive event,” said the Notorious Cinemas board member. “We were expecting a deeper analysis of product technology by the manufactures, particularly regarding projectors and audio systems, but we’re sure there will be other occasions soon to know and learn more about these details”.
Indeed, though the manufactures and sponsors’ presentations were unfortunately brief due to time constraints, they were packed with interesting information, only serving to confirm why EDCF remains a leading non-profit association in the global cinema technology universe.
