FILM SCREENINGS

Film screenings are not only a way to bring people together. They also bring light in the darkness and offer a way to have a peek into different realities. This experience of watching films together, discussing them, discussing life and getting to know each other in a spontaneous environment can bring a first spark, a bridge between people from various horizons.

Feel welcome to join us when we visit an asylum center for a film screening. Or ask for a screening visit at the Cinemaximiliaan project house.

LIVING ROOMS

LIVING ROOMS are the backbone of our socio-cultural operation: a workshop by a professional in the art form of cinema, photography, storytelling,… , every other Saturday from 11am. to 5pm. starting with our traditional cooking and eating together. We invite anyone to enjoy new encounters, as it is by meeting new people that you learn to better understand each others’ point of view. No knowledge required.

Dutch class with Emilia

From September to June we put our space every Monday (9 to 11am.) at the disposal of Brusselleer, for DUTCH CLASS for beginners. Our appreciation goes to Emilia Vandenmeersch who teaches every week with an exuberant smile and infectious conviction!

In collaboration with VK and Malika Saissi, an ARABIC language course for women will be added soon every Tuesday.

Ring at our doorbel if you want to join, 9 in the morning sharp 😉

COMMUNITY COOKING

We are an open house. We believe in the strength of collective art to create new connections between newcomers and locals. We invite you to hear each others’ enriching stories, or just spend some time together, wether you have papers or not. At Cinemaximiliaan friendships are made for life, not only with people from our own countries, but with anyone who embraces this intercultural togetherness. Currently, we have people from Palestine, Iraq, Guinea Conakry, Burundi, Brazil, Guatemala, Egypt, Iran, Türkiye, Afghanistan as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and France. We find peace and support with each other to rehumanise. The recipe is simple: Cinemaximiliaan appeals to the filmmaker, the actor, the photographer, the author… in people, by focusing on shared passions, not on what divides.

At Cinemaximiliaan we see the warmth and beauty of sharing meals on our long dinner table. Food brings us together, no matter where we are from. That is why we try to start or end all of our events with cooking and eating together.
If you want to come and help cook for events get in touch with Alice at alice@cinemaximiliaan.org

CINEMA TROTTOIR

Cinemaximiliaan is excited to announce its film festival CINEMA TROTTOIR 2024. Starting on 18 August, you can join us for six Saturday evenings of FOOD and FILM. The evening starts at 8pm. with a communal dinner, followed by the film screening on the façade of our Cinemaximiliaan house at 9.30pm. Manchesterstraat 36 in Molenbeek.

CINEMA TROTTOIR celebrates newcomer directors in Belgium and shares their stories. You will meet and talk to the director of the film at every event. This is a minimum waste event, no trash. And above all, you choose how much you pay for the food, the film and the friends.

PROGRAMME COMING SOON!!

See all events

SILENT FILM LIVE MUSIC CONCERT

The highlight of this season is the SILENT FILM LIVE MUSIC concert, we played at Ancienne Belgique in hometown Brussels last January. Besides the rehearsals of the 15-piece orchestra (2023-2024) and the production of 7 short films (2022), we succeeded in the challenge of inviting 250 people from various reception centres, on top of the many sold tickets. Thanks for your sponsorship and thanks to AB ! In this way, we make it possible to offer culture and art experiences to the widest possible audiences.

No worries if you missed it !
We’ll do it again at BUDA Kortrijk’s SINKSENFESTIVAL on SATURDAY 18th MAY.

Also MOLENBEEK for Brussels 2030 will host the show in the ‘grote hal’. Welcome at this special edition of CINEMA KANAL on SATURDAY 21. SEPTEMBER 2024.

BRIDGE STORIES

BRIDGE STORIES allows people who are new to Belgium, to write their stories and to share them with us in a perfomance tour.

The project began (2023) by going to the occupied BRIDGE in front of Petit Chateau where we interviewed the people sleeping in tents and invited them for a series of writing and dramaturgy workshops in the bookshop and at Cinemaximilaan. The very touching encounters ended in a BRIDGE STORIES perfomance at the PASSA PORTA FESTIVAL.

This success inspired us to turn this modest literary activity into an autonomous artistic and performative project: Bridge Stories.

Based on the great potential in that experience, we are now aiming for a ‘full-fledged artistic’ production in collaboration with the theatre and artist’s house NEEDCOMPANY.

MORE

We are organising the closing night of our festival Cinema Trottoir together with MOLENBEEK for Brussels 2030 in the ‘big hall’ across the canal. This will be a big event with a live orchestra of 13 musicians from all over the world, accompanying 7 black & white silent short films. Welcome on SATURDAY 21, SEPTEMBER.

SEANEMAXILIAAN

In the summer of 2024 (our 9th anniversary), the current Cinemaximiliaan team will once again collaborate with the founders of cinemaximiliaan, Gawan Fagard and Gwendolyn Lootens, for an intercultural day in Ostend called SEANEMAXILIAAN. Building on the successful first in 2023, we wish to organise an annual socio-cultural exchange day. Gwendolyn is in charge of a programme including a workshop and an exhibition. Dinner is served !

PARTNERSHIPS

In addition to our own projects, we have again responded to several external requests from larger cultural organisations wishing to collaborate with our target audience. These co-productions have broadened our film focus to include other disciplines as well. In 2024, we have cooperation agreements with Passa Porta, Muntpunt, Migration Museum MMM, Sound Image Culture, Europalia, Cassonade, Charleroi Danse, Needcompany, Ultima Vez, Erasmushogeschool, RITCS, Luca, VUB, Molenbeek for Brussels 2030, … Partners especially appreciate our unique network, our inclusive approach and our people-appreciating basic philosophy.