The National Audiovisual Institute’s new cinema Kino Regina will commence operation in Helsinki’s Central Library Oodi in January 2019.
From as early as the building’s ideation phase, Helsinki’s new central library Oodi, scheduled to open its doors in December 2018, was conceptualised as a place that would offer a broader range of content and services than traditional libraries. One of these expanded services is a cinema, which is why the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) has also been involved in the design of the library from the very start. The National Audiovisual Institute’s tasks include the preservation of Finnish film heritage and the promotion of audiovisual culture. The institute has also served as a strong international film organisation ever since its establishment in 1957.
“The idea of adding a cinema to the new central library’s facilities started floating around as early as the project’s planning phase, and we are thrilled that KAVI has decided to bring Kino Regina to Oodi,” says Director of Library Services Katri Vänttinen. “KAVI is a very pleasant and natural partner for the City Library, as both organisations share similar duties related to the promotion of culture and media education. The ranges of content provided by the library and KAVI also support and enrich one another in an exceptional manner”.
The name of the new cinema, Kino Regina, is a tribute to one of the brightest stars of Finnish cinematic history, Regina Linnanheimo. The cinema’s programming will follow the already established main principles of KAVI’s screening operations. In other words, the cinema will be screening major works from the history of cinema as well as rare gems, without forgetting popular culture. As such, the audience can look forward to enjoying modern cinema, arthouse and cult classics – as well as special screenings organised in cooperation with film festivals. The cinema will also place a particular emphasis on community and events.
The use of the cinema will be divided between the library and KAVI, with KAVI holding screenings in the evenings from Tuesday to Sunday and also retaining the possibility of using the cinema outside of the library’s opening hours. During the day, Kino Regina will serve as an auditorium for the library and its partners.
“We are very excited about this upcoming collaboration, for which we can now start developing ideas. We believe that the partnership will provide a wealth of new experiences to filmgoers and library customers alike,” rejoices Katri Vänttinen.