Studio Filmtheaters

Studio Filmtheaters is a Belgian cinema group that operates two multiplexes in Flanders, located in Koksijde and Geel. Its head office, which does not contain any screening rooms, is based in Tervuren. The group is privately held by the Rastelli family. The company traces its origins to the Studio cinema in Leuven, which opened in 1968 and grew over the decades into two multi-screen complexes. Although the arrival of Kinepolis in Leuven from the 1980s onward brought heavy competition, Studio retained its own audience and became a host venue for a range of specialised film festivals, including the Holebifilmfestival, the Afrika Filmfestival, Docville, the Kortfilmfestival and the Latin American Film Festival. The smallest Leuven complex, in the Brabançonnestraat, closed in 2004, and the remaining four-screen complex in the Burgemeesterstraat was announced for closure in 2009 and shut in early 2010 after 42 years. Other locations were also wound down: Turnhout closed in 2005, Herentals at the end of 2008, and Diest in 2009 after 30 years. The most recently built cinema, Studio Koksijde, opened in October 2004. After the Leuven closures, the head office moved to Tervuren and administration was distributed across the Koksijde and Geel cinemas. Today the group presents itself through its remaining venues, such as Studio Geel, which markets itself with the slogan 'Straffe cinema, sterke films' ('Strong cinema, strong films').

Studio Filmtheaters began with the opening of the Studio cinema in Leuven in 1968. Over the years, the Leuven site expanded into two cinema complexes, each with multiple screens. From the 1980s, the arrival of Kinepolis in Leuven created strong competition, but Studio maintained a distinct audience and later became a venue for several specialised film festivals, including the Holebifilmfestival, the Afrika Filmfestival, Docville, the Kortfilmfestival and the Latin American Film Festival. In 2004, the smallest Leuven complex in the Brabançonnestraat, which housed the screens Studio 1 and 'het Studioke', closed. In October 2004, the group opened its most recently built cinema, Studio Koksijde. Turnhout, which had a cinema-kursaal with three screens in a building that also housed a municipal swimming pool, closed in 2005. At the end of 2008, Studio Herentals closed its doors. In 2009, Studio Diest closed after 30 years, and the closure of the remaining four-screen Leuven complex in the Burgemeesterstraat was announced; it was carried out in early 2010 after 42 years. Following these closures, the head office of Studio Filmtheaters moved to Tervuren, and the administration was distributed across the cinemas in Koksijde and Geel. The group continues to operate the Koksijde and Geel multiplexes and remains in the hands of the Rastelli family.

• 2010

  Leuven Burgemeesterstraat complex closes after 42 years; head office moves to Tervuren.

• 2009

  Studio Diest closes after 30 years; closure of the remaining Leuven complex is announced.

• 2008

  Studio Herentals closes at the end of the year.

• 2005

  Turnhout cinema closes.

• 2004

  Smallest Leuven complex in the Brabançonnestraat closes; Studio Koksijde opens in October.

• 1968

  Studio cinema opens in Leuven.

Family-owned regional cinema group with a heritage in arthouse and festival programming, competing with larger chains such as Kinepolis.

• Studio Koksijde

• Studio Geel

1. 1Studio Geelstudio-geel.be
2. 2Studio Filmtheatersnl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Studio Filmtheaterswikidata.org