Café des images

What Café des images does

Café des images is a non-profit independent art-house cinema (Association loi 1901) founded in 1978 and headquartered in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Normandy, France. The cinema operates three screening rooms — Salle à fleurs, Salle Tati, and Salle Coupole — plus Hors les murs (off-site) screenings, delivering a curated mix of new releases, art-house films, animation, documentaries, and international cinema shown in original-language versions with subtitles. It serves a geographically concentrated audience in the Caen la Mer metropolitan area, segmented across general public and families, schools and educational institutions (via Éducation aux images programs spanning maternelle through lycée), animation and world-cinema enthusiasts, and the local community. Complementary services include the on-site Café du Ciné (board games, Queer/Feminist library, local food and beverages), accessibility-adapted screenings (audiodescription, SME, VAST), and community programming such as the weekly Café du Marché, Mah-Jong and knitting workshops, and chess club. Distribution is handled through online reservation via the coteCine platform, the physical box office, and third-party event platforms for special screenings.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: individual ticket sales (standard, youth, and family/group TRIBU pricing), children's film workshops at €10 per child, the 26-year-old La Carte à fleurs loyalty subscription, and on-site café food and beverage sales. Substantive revenue is also derived indirectly through institutional grants and operational support from the CNC, DRAC Normandie, Région Normandie, Département du Calvados, Caen la Mer, Europa Cinemas, and Creative Europe MEDIA. Marketing is executed via a multi-channel approach spanning Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, an email newsletter, three podcast series (CINÉMAS SUR ÉCOUTE, Ramène tes potes au cinoche, Le Café des sons), and a monthly PDF program. The cinema holds nine industry quality labels — Art et Essai, Europa Cinemas, Architecture Contemporaine Remarquable, Tiers-Lieux Normandie, Ecotable among them — and is a member of 14+ professional cinema associations, collectively positioning it as a structurally embedded cultural institution in the Normandy region.

Name

Café des images

Legal name

Cinéma Café des Images

Website

https://cafedesimages.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Café des images is a non-profit independent art-house cinema in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Normandy, operating three screens and a curated mix of art-house, animation, and international films, plus educational, community, and café programming for local, family, school, and cinephile audiences in the Caen la Mer area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Art-house Cinema

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools) (MPADAKAI), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Independent arthouse cinema
• Film education programs
• Art et essai programming
• Community cinema venue
• Children film workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Hérouville-Saint-Clair

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Primary revenue stream from cinema screenings. Customers purchase individual tickets for film screenings across multiple auditoriums. Online reservation system via coteCine platform with physical box office also available.
2. Children's workshops and activities: Revenue from children's film workshops including paper crafts, modeling, storytelling sessions, and readings combined with film screenings. Priced at 10€ per child for workshop sessions.
3. Membership cards: La Carte à fleurs loyalty card program offering benefits to repeat customers. Mentioned as being 26 years old.
4. Café du Ciné: On-site café serving local food products, games, and a Queer/Feminist library. Generates food and beverage revenue alongside cinema screenings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Café des images operates an independent art-house cinema with three auditoriums (Salle à fleurs, Salle Tati, Salle Coupole) plus off-site "Hors les murs" screenings, delivering curated film programming that includes new releases, animation, documentaries, world cinema, and classics. Beyond screenings it sells school-based film-education programs (Éducation aux images), adapted screenings for disabled audiences, children's film-and-workshop sessions (€10), a 26-year loyalty card (La Carte à fleurs), and on-site café and community market services.

Product overview

Café des images is a cinema and cultural center located in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, near Caen, France, operating as an Association loi 1901 (non-profit organization). The cinema features three screening rooms (Salle à fleurs, Salle Tati, Salle Coupole) and offers a diverse film programming including new releases, art-house films, animation, documentaries, and international cinema. The venue operates a café (Café du Ciné) with board games and a Queer and Feminist library, and maintains an active educational division (Éducation aux images) providing film education programs for schools from maternelle through lycée. The cinema runs specialized programming including the annual Immersion.Animation festival (since 2020), Coups de cœur d'un Cinéma-Monde, and the Little Films Festival for young audiences. Additional services include adapted screenings for disabled viewers, a loyalty card program (La Carte à fleurs), and online ticket booking via Cotecine. The venue also hosts community events such as Café du Marché (weekly Wednesday market) and various workshops including Mah-Jong, knitting, and chess clubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Screenings and Programming Daily screenings across three auditoriums of new releases, classics, animation, documentaries, and international cinema, aimed at the general public and cinephiles in the Caen la Mer area.
• Café du Ciné On-site café offering local beverages, snacks, board games, a children's play area, and on-site consultation access to a Queer and Feminist library for cinema visitors.
• La Carte à fleurs Long-running loyalty card program (26 years old) that provides repeat-customer benefits, discounts, and special offers for regular cinema-goers.
• Adapted Screenings Screenings adapted for disabled audiences, including audiodescription (AD), subtitling for deaf and hard of hearing (SME), and audio subtitling (VAST).
• Éducation aux images (Film Education Programs) Comprehensive school-based film education programs including Maternelle au Cinéma, École et cinéma, Collège au cinéma, Lycéens au cinéma, plus a teacher-focused Le Café des profs program with a dedicated Italian cycle and pedagogical dossiers.
• Event Programming and Film Cycles Curated thematic film cycles and special events, including the Immersion.Animation summer festival (since 2020), Coups de cœur d'un Cinéma-Monde, the Little Films Festival for young audiences, the Ciné-Club de Caen partnership, and seasonal holiday programming.
• Café du Marché Weekly Wednesday community market hosted at the cinema in partnership with local producers (AMAP d'Hérouville, Le Potager d'Annie, La Cité de l'Alimentation, Librairie mobile Grevis, and solidarity associations), offering local produce and sustainable food.
• Children's Film-and-Workshop Sessions Combined children's film screening and workshop sessions (paper crafts, modeling, storytelling, readings) priced at €10 per child.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Caen la MermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority providing institutional support and funding to Café des images as part of cultural development initiatives in the Caen la Mer region.
• Région NormandiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing financial support and cultural development funding for cinema operations and programming.
• CNC (Centre National du Cinéma)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cinema center providing government funding and regulatory support for French cinema industry.
• DRAC NormandiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional directorate of cultural affairs providing state funding and cultural policy support.
• Département du CalvadosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council providing local authority funding and cultural development support.
• Europa CinemascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cinema network providing funding and support for European film programming and audience development.
• Creative Europe MEDIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union program supporting European film and audiovisual industries.
• Ciné-Club de CaencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for collaborative film programming and analysis events, including P•MATRIMOINE•S heritage film series.
• Comédie de CaencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programming partnership for festivals including Écritures partagées with René Allio retrospective.
• Normandie ImagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film commission supporting local film production and cinema activities.
• AMAP d'HérouvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal CSA group providing fresh local produce for Café du marché community events.
• Cité de l'AlimentationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearby associative restaurant and collective food project providing bread and local food products for Café du marché.
• Librairie mobile GrevisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile bookstore bringing engaged and alternative literature to Café du marché community events.
• Association Normandie-TaïwanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural association organizing Mah-Jong workshops at the cinema for eight years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cinéma Le Champo: Historic independent art-house cinema in Paris (5th arrondissement), screening curated auteur, repertory, and international films. Comparable to Café des images as a curated single-site art-house venue with thematic cycles, educational programming, and a strong institutional identity.
• Cinéma L'Arlequin: Independent Paris art-house cinema (6th arrondissement) focused on auteur, documentary, and repertory programming. Directly comparable as a single-site, programmer-led art-house venue with strong cultural-institution branding.
• Cinéma Publicis (Les Cinémas des Champs-Élysées): Paris independent cinema on the Champs-Élysées screening curated auteur, repertory, and international films. Comparable in curated art-house programming and event-driven audience development.
• Cinéma Le Reflet Médicis: Independent Latin Quarter (Paris) art-house cinema with auteur and repertory focus. Closely comparable as a curated single-site art-house venue with strong neighborhood/community identity.
• La Cinémathèque française: Paris-based repertory and heritage cinema institution offering curated screenings, retrospectives, and educational programs. Comparable to Café des images in mission-driven repertory exhibition and educational outreach, though at much larger scale.
• MK2 Bibliothèque: MK2's art-house-oriented Paris venue focused on independent, auteur, and repertory films with curated cycles. Comparable to Café des images in art-house curation and event-driven programming, though MK2 is a multi-site chain.

Others

• Normandie Images: Normandy regional film commission and resource body supporting local production, education, and exhibition. Comparable as a regional cinema ecosystem partner (Café des images is a member), not a direct commercial competitor.
• Collectif 50/50: French film industry collective advancing gender parity and inclusion in cinema. Café des images is a member; they share an ecosystem relationship through policy advocacy and inclusion programming rather than direct commercial competition.

Broad incumbents

• UGC: One of France's largest cinema chains operating multiplexes nationwide. Comparable as a French cinema exhibitor, but with a mainstream/commercial focus that contrasts with Café des images' art-house and educational specialization.
• Pathé Gaumont: Leading French cinema exhibition and production group with nationwide multiplex presence. Comparable as a French theatrical exhibitor, though operating at much larger scale with mainstream commercial programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZe_Px3-KGhmY3RRwrJ00DQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cafedesimages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafedesimages
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafedesimages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Café des images