The idea of a cinema was born at the first edition of the CULMEA: Film and Environmental Education festival, which took place in Brasov between 6-10 September 2023. More than 300 children and adults attended screenings of award-winning short and feature films at major film festivals.
“We decided together with CULMEA team that it is important to keep close and develop the community of children and young people interested in environmental education through film. Their interest and the level of conversations after last year's screenings have shown us that young people need such contexts. We are confident in the power of the arts to open minds, create bridges of communication and develop empathy, critical thinking, creativity. But that requires exposure to as many and varied creative experiences as possible, but also a critical approach to cultural acts through professional guidance.”
Sabina Baciu, director of the festival.
This is how we decided to set up a monthly European film cinema on environmental issues, for young audiences. During 2024, the CULMEA team proposes a catalogue of films (short and feature films) on topics such as biodiversity, food waste, fast fashion and activism. The monthly screenings at CULMEA Cinema create a context for the development of a community of children, young people and adults who are informed, curious and willing to imagine a different future.
May is the month of biodiversity, so the weekend of 18/19 May included guided tours of the Tâmpa, nightly bat discovery workshops and film screenings at the Patria Cinemateca. Among the titles selected in the program were Katak, Courageous Beluga(Canada, 2023, directed by Christine Dallaire-Dupont, Nicola Lemay, 1h12m, 6 years +, dubbed in Romanian), Awarded the Audience Award at the Montreal International Children's Film Festival 2023 and Animale(documentary, France, 2020, directed by Cyril Dion, 1h45, 12 years +) — winner of the Young Audience Award of the European Film Academy 2021, in the Cannes 2021 selection, nominated Cesar 2021 for Best Documentary Film.
June is the month of food waste, so on Saturday, June 29, a community picnic, meal planning workshops, and discussions on promoting ethical local production and consumption practices, with a focus on reducing food waste and harnessing local resources, will be held within the Walnut Garden. With the end of the evening there was a screening of Eat All/Just Eat it (documentary, Canada, 2014, directed by Grant Baldwin, 1h:15 min) — Grand Prize at One Earth Film Festival 2015, in the selection of IDFA, Hot Docs.
Fast Fashion is the theme of July, and CULMEA organized on the weekend of 12/13 July a second-hand community fair through which we promoted the circular economy and responsible shopping when it comes to fashion. The most sustainable product is the one you already have in your dresser, and at a clothing fair you can refresh your wardrobe without putting pressure on the planet's limited resources. Among the films on the program of the month were”Tailor the future(documentary series, United Kingdom, 2021, directed by Matthew Harmer, 12 years +) and Mambar Pierette(fiction, Belgium, Cameroon, 2023, directed by Rosine Mbakam, 1h30 min, 14 years +) in the selection of Cannes Film Festival 2023 — Director's Fortnight, Toronto Film Festival 2023, IDFA 2023, Göteborg Film Festival 2024.
The month of September brings with it the theme of activism, and on the weekend of September 6/8 the CULMEA team proposed to bring several short films on environmental topics to the streets and to contribute to the organization of the first climate march in Brasov, in partnership with Street Delivery Brașov. Also in September there will be film screenings at the cinema, including Bigger Than Us (documentary, France, 2021, directed by Flore Vasseur, 1h35 min, 12 years +) in the selection Cannes IFF 2021, IDFA Amsterdam 2021, BUFF Malmö 2022.
The program of the CULMEA cinema in 2024 also included training workshops for professionals from the world of film and education. In March, a workshop was held on introduction to the management and projection of digital films, in which 10 projectionists were trained by Vlad Plaiașu, TIFF Technical Director and CULMEA collaborator. And between 27/28 April, a training workshop for the role of facilitator of film and environment education was held, which was attended by 23 teachers and cultural educators interested in projects at the intersection of film and environment.
Partners: Bistro de l'Arte, Brașoveni Cârciumarilor Guild, Simple Bakery, Bat Caravan, Apollonia Cultural Center, Sustainable Cluj, Conservation Carpathia, Corona Cultural Consortium, CORESI Brasov, DJs COOP Disco, Brasov Philharmonic, Food Waste Combat, Walnut Garden, French Institute in Romania, Kunstadt, La Fântana, Brasov City Hall, Propark — Foundation for Protected Areas, Wild Romania, ROMO Brasov: From Producer to Consumer, Street Delivery Brasov, Volunteering Brașov, WaterBear.
Main Media Partner: Radio Guerrilla
Media partners: F-sides Cineclub,, IQads, Litera9, Panorama, Revista Ateliorul, School9, Days&Nights.
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CULMEA: Community Environmental Activism is a project funded by the Municipality of Brasov. The content of this project does not necessarily reflect the position of the Municipality of Brasov and does not imply any responsibility on its part.
CINEMATECA CULMEA: European films and environmental education is co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. They are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.
