Talks due on future of Kino cinema

CRUCIAL talks on the future of the Kino arthouse cinema in Cork are due to take place today.

City manager Joe Gavin is expected to meet the Kino’s operator, Mick Hannigan, later to discuss the crisis facing the only independent cinema outside the capital.

Neither was available for comment yesterday.

The Kino is due to close at the end of the month after running into financial difficulties.

Mr Gavin is expected to outline his vision for the future of independent cinema in Cork at today’s meeting.

Whether that vision includes the Kino on Washington Street, or the development of independent cinema at another city venue, remains to be seen.

However, it is understood the city does not have the necessary funding to invest in the Kino.

“The city council put proposals to the operator of the Kino some two years ago,” Mr Gavin told a council meeting on Monday.

“Contact was again made with the operator as soon as it became known in recent days that there were difficulties.”

Cllr Kieran McCarthy asked Mr Gavin to elaborate on the details of the proposal made two years ago.

But Mr Gavin declined, saying the talks were confidential. When news of the cinema’s financial difficulties became public two weeks, a public meeting was called.

Mr Hannigan told the meeting at the Cork Opera House that the cinema was facing two problems – a High Court action brought by its main creditors seeking €50,000, and a long-term problem of making the cinema financially viable.

Following the meeting a steering committee was set up to raise funds and to develop a business plan to put the 188-seater cinema on a sound financial footing.

It has launched savethekino.com and a support page on the social networking site Facebook.