Vilnius Airport in Lithuania has opened a new cinema hall for passengers in its recently renovated departure area. The FilmBox LT cinema hall was developed in partnership with the Lithuanian Film Centre and will screen short Lithuanian feature films until the end of the year. After this point, the airport hopes to introduce full-length movies to the cinema.
Gediminas Almantas, CEO at SE Lithuanian Airports, the airport operator, said, “Vilnius Airport is not just an infrastructure, it is also the space where passengers spend a lot of time. We care about our passengers and have therefore established the cinema, where passengers will have an opportunity to relax before the flight and become familiar with Lithuanian cinema.”
The short feature films, documentaries and cartoons are being selected by short-film agency Lithuanian Shorts, who will regularly change the rotated programs to feature as many national artists as possible. The first visitors of the cinema hall watched the 11-minute film Forest, created by Ignas Meilūnas.
Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson, one of the initiators of FilmBox LT and the head of Film Distribution, Information and Heritage Division of the Lithuanian Film Centre, said, “We are very excited that the airport has let in the Lithuanian culture and works of young cinema makers. This is one of the finest examples in Lithuania and elsewhere of how business and cultural institutions can cooperate by focusing on feelings and experiences of people rather than profit.”