CINEMAS LUMIERE

What CINEMAS LUMIERE does

Cinémas Lumière is a privately operated, three-site art-house cinema circuit based entirely in central Lyon, France, operating under the Lumière Terreaux (1st arrondissement), Lumière Bellecour (2nd arrondissement), and Lumière Fourmi (3rd arrondissement) brands. The legal entity identified in the website's official legal notices is CNP Terreaux. The circuit is a member of AFCAE (the French art-house cinema association) under the Art et Essai label and participates in the Europa Cinemas network, giving it access to European art-house funding and programming. Across the three venues, Cinémas Lumière operates approximately 10 screens, all air-conditioned, with no proprietary technology disclosed beyond standard digital projection (including IMAX-compatible capability noted for select screenings) and accessibility systems (audio-description and subtitling for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences). The website and ticketing infrastructure are maintained by external partners: the site by Novius and online ticketing via the Cotecine platform across three cinema-specific subdomains.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) transactional ticket sales (€6 flat for morning screenings at Terreaux, €5 for under-14s on youth programming, market rates for evening sessions), (2) dematerialized subscription cards (5 tickets/6 months for €33, 10 tickets/1 year for €64, reloadable online), (3) private room hire across 10 screens for corporate and private events plus bulk ticket sales to comités d'entreprise, and (4) concessions and ancillary food/beverage sales including restaurant cross-promotions (e.g., CineCittà pizza partnership with La Caselina). School screenings and the annual Little Films Festival extend the youth and education segment. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via physical box offices and the Cotecine online platform, supplemented by event-driven and community-led programming including themed series (L'Avant-première du Lundi, Le Club de la Fourmi, Les Rendez-vous du Documentaire, Midnight Movie), cultural festival partnerships (Quais du Polar, Écrans Mixtes, Italissimo, Bollyciné, Istituto Italiano di Cultura), and accessibility-focused outreach.

Customer segments are primarily horizontal: the general Lyon cinema-going public and families/youth (both flagged as primary), plus secondary segments of cinephiles and cultural enthusiasts, corporate/institutional clients, and schools. Public funders CNC and Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes provide sponsorship support, and BP AURA is a commercial sponsor. Headcount is in the 1-10 range, with four named staff covering operations, communications, and programming coordination: Flavien Poncet (Responsable d'Exploitation, who programs and presents Le Club de la Fourmi), Hiba Ziane (Assistante de Direction, who animates Midnight Movie and Rendez-vous du Documentaire), Louisa Lévêque (Assistante de Direction, coordinating scolaires and P'tites Fourmiz), and Alice Fabre (Chargée de Communication). No external venture or institutional investment, parent company, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

CINEMAS LUMIERE

Legal name

CNP Terreaux

Website

https://cinemas-lumiere.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cinémas Lumière is a privately operated three-site art-house cinema circuit in central Lyon, France, running approximately 10 screens across Lumière Terreaux, Bellecour, and Fourmi. It generates revenue from ticket sales, subscription cards, private room hire, and concessions, serving the general Lyon public, families, cinephiles, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art-House Cinema Exhibition

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Art house cinema
• Film exhibition services
• Movie theater operations
• Cultural film programming
• Cinema subscription cards

Headquarters

HQ city

LYON

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Core revenue stream from admission tickets across three cinema locations. Standard pricing: 6€ morning screenings at Terreaux, 5€ for young audience films, standard evening tickets at market rates. Online ticketing via Cotecine platform.
2. Subscription Cards: Prepaid membership cards sold in bundles: 5 tickets valid 6 months for 33€; 10 tickets valid 1 year for 64€. Cards are dematerialized and purchasable/reloadable online.
3. Room Hire & Private Events: 10 privatizable screens available for corporate events and private screenings. Contact via Flavien Poncet. Also includes school group bookings and comité d'entreprise bulk ticket sales.
4. Concessions & Ancillary: Food and beverage sales from cinema lobbies. Partner restaurants near each location also feature cross-promotions (e.g., CineCittà pizza deal at La Caselina near Lumière Fourmi).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cinémas Lumière operates a three-venue art-house cinema circuit in central Lyon (Lumière Terreaux, Lumière Bellecour, Lumière Fourmi) offering curated film programming that spans new releases, restored classics, international documentaries, and youth films. Beyond daily screening sessions, the chain sells dematerialized subscription ticket cards, rents out 10 screens for private and corporate events, and provides accessibility services (audio-description and subtitling) plus on-demand school screenings.

Product overview

Cinémas Lumière operates a three-cinema circuit in Lyon, France (Lumière Terreaux, Lumière Bellecour, and Lumière Fourmi), offering diverse film programming across multiple formats including national releases, art-house films, documentaries, classics, and youth programming. The cinemas provide subscription-based membership (Abonnement), private room rentals, school screenings, and accessibility services including audio-described and subtitled screenings. Programming is organized through branded series: L'Avant-première du Lundi (advance screenings), Les Rendez-vous du Documentaire, Le Club de la Fourmi (classic films), and Midnight Movie (late-night genre films). The company also hosts annual events including the Little Films Festival for young audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lumière Terreaux Primary cinema location in central Lyon's 1st arrondissement, offering air-conditioned film screenings and hosting the weekly Monday Avant-premières du Lundi series and the monthly Midnight Movie late-night series. Targeted at general cinema-goers and cinephiles.
• Lumière Bellecour Cinema location in central Lyon's 2nd arrondissement near Place Antonin Poncet, hosting the weekly Rendez-vous du Documentaire series alongside national releases and festival-driven screenings. Targeted at documentary enthusiasts and general audiences.
• Lumière Fourmi
• Location de salle (Room Rental) Private cinema room hire service available across 10 screens at the three Cinémas Lumière locations, designed for corporate events, team outings, private celebrations, and comités d'entreprise bulk ticket bookings. Coordinated via Flavien Poncet.
• Abonnement (Subscription Cards) Dematerialized multi-ticket subscription cards sold to frequent cinema-goers, usable across all three Cinémas Lumière locations. Available in 5-ticket (6 months, €33) and 10-ticket (1 year, €64) tiers, purchasable and reloadable online via the Cotecine platform.
• Séances scolaires (School Screenings) On-demand educational screening service for school groups, arranged at any of the three Cinémas Lumière locations and coordinated by Louisa Lévêque. Targets primary and secondary schools seeking curriculum-aligned or culturally enriching film screenings.
• Accessibility Services
• L'Avant-première du Lundi (Weekly Monday Advance Screening Series) Weekly Monday evening programming series at Lumière Terreaux showcasing advance screenings of notable films days before national release, with on-stage presentations and post-screening audience exchanges. Targeted at cinephiles eager to see new releases early.
• Le Club de la Fourmi (Classic Cinema Club) Weekly Thursday evening classic film club at Lumière Fourmi featuring screenings of cinema classics followed by analysis, audience quiz, and group debate. Targeted at dedicated cinephiles seeking curated exposure to film history.
• Midnight Movie (Late-Night Genre Series) Monthly Saturday late-night genre cinema series at Lumière Terreaux featuring horror, cult, and international genre films, hosted by Hiba Ziane. Targeted at genre and cult-film enthusiasts.
• Les Rendez-vous du Documentaire (Documentary Series) Weekly Tuesday documentary programming series at Lumière Bellecour showcasing classic and contemporary documentary films, frequently featuring in-person filmmaker presentations and audience discussions.
• Little Films Festival Annual youth cinema festival held at Lumière Fourmi featuring a curated slate of 8 family films plus 2 avant-premières and exclusive previews aimed at young audiences aged 3 and up.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 cinema locations in central Lyon operating as an Art et Essai network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Institut LumièrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institut Lumière is a key cultural partner. Photographic content on the Cinémas Lumière website is sourced from the Collection Institut Lumière. The Lumière cinemas and Institut Lumière share the historic Lumière brothers cinema heritage, creating strong brand alignment.
• AFCAE (Association Française des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFCAE is the French association of art-house cinemas. Cinemas Lumière operates under the Art et Essai label, which provides cultural programming credentials and network support for art-house exhibition.
• Europa CinemascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropa Cinemas is a European network supporting art-house cinemas that programme European films. Cinemas Lumière's membership in this network provides funding, promotional support, and cross-border audience development resources.
• CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CNC is the French national film authority that supports cinema exhibition through funding schemes. Its logo appears on the Cinémas Lumière website as a supporting partner.
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regional council is a public funder of cultural activities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its logo appears as a supporting partner on the Cinémas Lumière website.
• BP AURA (Banque Populaire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanque Populaire AURA appears as a sponsoring partner on the website. The partnership likely involves cross-promotional activities or sponsorship of specific events.
• BollycinéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBollyciné is a partner for the Indian cinema double séance event (La Complainte du sentier + La Dernière séance). The partnership includes dance demonstrations and cross-promotion with the local Indian cinema community in Lyon.
• Quais du PolarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQuais du Polar is a major crime fiction festival in Lyon. They are partnered with Cinemas Lumière for the special screening of The Dog Stars, bringing a literary/thriller audience to the cinema.
• Istituto Italiano di Cultura di LioneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Italian Cultural Institute in Lyon partnered with Cinemas Lumière for the special screening of La vita va così in the framework of the Italissimo festival.
• Festival On/OffminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFestival On/Off is partnered with Cinemas Lumière for the special screening of Sorda, a film about deafness, bringing an accessibility-focused audience to the Bellecour location.
• Écrans MixtesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerÉcrans Mixtes is an LGBTQ+ film festival in Lyon. They partnered with Cinemas Lumière for the screening of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which received the Queer Palm at Cannes 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cinéma Le Champo (Paris): Historic independent art-house cinema in Paris's Latin Quarter known for repertory screenings, cine-club programming, and festival tie-ins. Comparable in its curatorial, programming-led operating model.
• Reflet Médicis (Paris): Independent art-house cinema in Paris's Latin Quarter with similar Art et Essai positioning, repertory and festival programming. Comparable independent, curatorial operating model.
• Le Comœdia (Lyon): Independent art-house cinema in central Lyon offering repertory, festival, and curated programming with similar subscription and event hire offerings. Operates in the same city catchment.
• MK2 Bibliothèque: MK2 is France's leading independent art-house cinema chain with a similar Art et Essai positioning, multiple branded programming series, subscription passes (MK2 Curiosity), and venue hire. Most directly comparable in business model and customer base.
• Cinéma Le Zola (Villeurbanne): Independent art-house cinema in Villeurbanne (Lyon's eastern neighbor) operated as a non-profit, screening art-house, documentary, and repertory programming with strong community orientation. Comparable in scale and programming model.
• Ciné Mourguet (Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon): Independent art-house cinema in the greater Lyon area operating as a single-screen repertory and arthouse venue with curated programming and cine-club activities. Comparable as a small, programming-led independent.

Others

• Europa Cinemas (network): Pan-European network of art-house cinemas (of which Lumière is a member). Provides funding, programming support, and benchmarking — an enabling ecosystem rather than a competitor.
• Institut Lumière: Cultural institution in Lyon dedicated to cinema heritage and the Lumière brothers. Strategic partner of Cinémas Lumière providing brand alignment, photographic assets, and programming synergy rather than direct competition.

Broad incumbents

• UGC Ciné Cité Lyon Part-Dieu: UGC is France's largest cinema chain, with a major Lyon multiplex a short distance from Lumière venues. Directly competes for mainstream and family audiences in the same metro catchment.

Regional players

• Pathé Bellecour (Lyon): Pathé is a major French cinema chain; its Bellecour location is a multi-screen venue in Lyon's 2nd arrondissement overlapping Lumière Bellecour's territory. Comparable on exhibition function but broader commercial positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinemas-lumiere

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CINEMAS LUMIERE