The brand new cultural hub in Frontignan is running at full speed.
The Quai des Lumières cinema is smashing records: over 54,000 admissions in less than four months! This success was not guaranteed: the cinema faced political and citizen struggles to come to life, as well as the whims of versatile financiers and delays. Finally on track since December, it is now a real success.
“Cinema of diversity”
“We had 983 people this Sunday, April 12, which is simply incredible,” says Priscilla Schneider, the cinema director and investor-associate of SAS Cinémas Frontignan. Week after week, the enthusiasm for this new cinema does not wane. It can accommodate 550 people when all four rooms are full. The bad weather this winter may have contributed to the good results, but that alone does not explain this success. “We are aware that things will calm down and are eager to see how the tourist season will unfold with our more attractive cinema rooms (compared to the old CinéMistral) in terms of technological comfort and pricing. We are making choices that are paying off. Our entire pricing system works well with the subscription card or the two tickets for the price of one on Tuesday evenings,” says the director.
For direct ticket purchases, the cinema prefers direct contact with customers to “sense” their desires and therefore does not want to install a vending machine.
“Cleaning up customers helps us with programming, it allows us to better align with current trends. Wanting to be a cinema of diversity, we have to offer a wide range of films such as “Mario” and art-house cinema like “Les Rayons et les Ombres,” a 3-hour and 17-minute film that is full at each screening in the cozy room, along with mainstream films like “Compostelle” that we paired with a walk in the salt marshes. This week, we are showing “Bagarre,” a comedy for teenagers, driven by social media and Marina Foïs, which should attract young people from the city.”
Intimate cinema
A true balancing act, the programming must take into account the pressure from distributors who want to screen their films on Saturday nights. “Between the Quai des Lumières cinema, the people of Frontignan, and more broadly the visitors to the Thau basin, it’s a real love story that endures. But there are still many people who have not yet walked through the door, so we must continue to communicate,” comments Priscilla Schneider. The long-term goal: to open a more intimate art-house cinema “but necessary for everyone.”
Midi Libre correspondent: 06 78 75 48 78
