The clock shows a little after 17:00 and beyond Cinema Ideal In the center of Athens, people have already gathered to watch the afternoon screening of the film “The Trap”, directed by Hani Abu-Assad. It may not be an option for some to watch a movie this early on a weekday, but last Thursday, turnout in theaters around the country was impressive. This happened because the masters of the hall decided to participate in “Film Festival“, while the ticket price single for 2 euros for every movie.

Inspired by similar success stories in America as well as in European countries such as France and Italy, Greek film content distributors have adopted this promotion to increase viewership on the big screen.

“I guess they followed the example of France, which started 15-20 years ago, and maybe that’s why the distribution companies went for it. Thus, they gave a signal to the masters of the hall that this day will be dedicated to cinema, ”he says in cathimerini.gr his businessman Ideal, Alexander Spences.

It is well known that the global film industry had begun to suffer a few years earlier due to the emergence and proliferation of streaming services that established a new model of film viewing. But the coronavirus pandemic has dealt it an additional hard blow, as people have been forced to stay at home for long periods of time.

According to him Greek Cinema Center, 9,260,000 tickets were sold in 2018, with 62.7% in Athens and 16.5% in Thessaloniki. Accordingly, 9,570,000 tickets were sold in 2019, with 60% in Athens and 15.16% in Thessaloniki. On the contrary, in the triennium 2020-2021-2022 (until October 23), cinema traffic was reduced, with a total of 3,125,000, 3,056,000 and 4,350,000 tickets respectively. The ratios for Athens and Thessaloniki remained broadly stable.

During the pandemic, we faced the closure of some cinemas, such as the Small Palace in Pagrati, the Embassy in Kolonaki, as well as the Odeon multiplexes.

Expresses its undivided support for this initiative to strengthen cinemas Ilias Georgopoulosits owner Cinema Danaos. “I would like this to be done much earlier, which is of course difficult due to the corona virus,” he emphasizes. And he adds: “I think this is a very good opportunity to remember the movie, go to the cinemas and watch movies, trailers. It’s an effective reminder to all of us that the cinema is here, it’s just as if not better than the sofa and offers endless possibilities. I would like it to happen again and even twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.”

Moviegoers began to arrive at theaters from the first show, culminating in evening screenings that lined up on the sidewalks. In fact, there were several delays, and in many cases, many were still unable to watch the films.

“A lot of people really came to the cinema, and this was expected. It was widely publicized by the media and became known to all residents of the pool. The next day was also a holiday, so people came to the cinemas to experience such fun after three years of the pandemic, ”says the owner. Athinaion Cinema, Dimitris Gakas. “The feeling of meeting up with friends and enjoying a movie with others is special. The motivation was not in 2 euros, but in the fact that “we went to celebrate the cinema.” Cinema is not only a habit, but also entertainment. Let’s hope people keep coming in the coming weeks.”

Interesting, dynamic and high-quality films are expected in the coming months. This will undoubtedly contribute to the return of cinema to its former glory. “I believe that with good films and good communication with the audience, we will bring people back to cinemas,” says Mr. Spentsos.