“Cineville, the Independent Cinema Center in Alexandria,” has announced the suspension of its public activities starting September 1, 2026, until further notice, citing economic conditions that have made it extremely difficult to continue operating the center, carrying out its programs and developing its services. The decision sparked sadness and concern among a number of filmmakers and cultural figures, who viewed the suspension of “Cineville’s” activities as a significant loss for Alexandria’s cultural and cinematic scene.

“Cineville” Announces Suspension of Activities 📢

The center explained that the decision followed consultations involving its management and founders, along with a number of cinematic and cultural institutions, filmmakers, artists, cultural and arts experts and managers, as well as members of the center’s audience.

A meeting was held at “Cineville” to discuss the challenges facing the center and present a number of visions and possible solutions that could help ensure its survival under the current economic circumstances.

The center stressed that the decision does not mean abandoning the project, but rather reflects the difficulty of securing the resources needed to operate it and carry out its programs in the manner its audience has come to expect.

A Cinema Project That Began as a Dream 🎬

Since its establishment in 2022, “Cineville” has been more than simply a movie screening venue. It sought to transform a space with exceptional historical and architectural value into an independent and integrated cinema center.

The center included a screening hall, a training and exhibition hall, a specialized library containing more than 3,000 books, as well as an archive featuring hundreds of rare Egyptian and Arab cinematic documents.

The venue was also equipped according to the highest possible standards to ensure audience safety and improve the viewing experience, while maintaining a commitment to presenting cinema according to independent artistic standards, away from affiliations, agendas or ideological orientations.

Years of Work and Preparation

Cineville’s founder and director, programmer and film distributor Wagih El-Laqany, carried the responsibility of establishing and operating the project for years in the absence of institutional financial support.

Film critic Osama Abdel Fattah said he closely witnessed the transformation of an old apartment on Greek Church Street into a fully developed cinematic space. He explained that the venue eventually included a screening hall with around 40 seats, a hall for training, workshops and lectures, a library containing 3,000 cinema books, and an archive holding thousands of rare historical papers and documents.

Abdel Fattah noted that he followed the project from the demolition and preparation stages through to its completion, with attention given to restoring the details of the space to how they had looked nearly a century earlier. He also recalled helping Wagih El-Laqany search for suitable cinema seats, statues and antiques to decorate the center.

He emphasized that the project took years to complete and cost millions of Egyptian pounds, arguing that the suspension of its activities should not pass without a serious attempt to save it.

Calls to Rethink Support for Independent Culture

The “Cineville” decision has sparked a broader discussion about mechanisms for supporting independent cultural and cinematic projects in Egypt, particularly initiatives seeking to offer different experiences outside traditional frameworks.

Director Amir Ramses called for a more organized approach to state support for civil cultural activity, stressing the importance of a greater role for private institutions in supporting ongoing cultural events and projects.

Ramses believes corporate support for festivals should not be limited to events that generate promotional benefits for companies. Instead, part of these budgets could be directed toward independent cinematic and cultural projects that can genuinely contribute to developing the industry.

“Cineville” Is a Major Loss for Alexandria

Mahmoud Mahmoud, president of the Alexandria Short Film Festival, described the suspension of “Cineville’s” activities as a “major loss for Alexandria,” considering the decision a reflection of some of the challenges facing the cinematic and cultural scene.

He stressed that Wagih El-Laqany has contributed to the field in ways that many others cannot, making the preservation and support of the project an issue that extends beyond the center itself to the future of independent spaces serving cinema and audiences.

A Remarkable Cinematic Archive ⭐

Producer and director Mark Lotfy expressed his deep regret over the indications that the center could be shutting down, describing the situation as “very unfortunate.”

Lotfy explained that “Cineville” was designed as a specialized space offering high-quality screenings, resembling a small cinema hall serving different cinematic directions while also reaching diverse segments of the audience.

He pointed out that the center possesses an important cinematic archive that offers researchers a highly distinctive resource, expressing his surprise at the lack of sufficient support for projects of this kind.

“Suspension Does Not Mean the End” ✨

“Cineville” stressed that suspending its public activities does not mean the end of the center, confirming that its team will continue searching for genuine alternatives and partnerships that could help restore its programs and reopen its doors to the public.

The center explained that over the past years it had submitted several requests for funding and sought partnerships with local, regional and international entities to secure the resources necessary to continue its activities. However, these efforts did not achieve the desired results.

The statement revealed that the center’s founders covered all of its operating costs over the years, with the situation at certain stages reaching the point where they had to resort to personal loans to ensure the continuation of its activities.

Despite the suspension of public events, “Cineville” confirmed that the door remains open to partnerships and support for specific projects and programs that could help it continue. It stressed that its statement was not a call for donations, but rather an attempt to document the experience and open a serious discussion about the future of independent cinematic and cultural spaces in Egypt.

The suspension of “Cineville” brings an important question back to the forefront: How can independent cultural projects survive amid economic challenges? It also highlights the importance of sustainable support mechanisms capable of preserving these spaces and their role in enriching Egypt’s artistic and cultural life. 🎥