Cinéma Oblo (non-profit theatre)

What Cinéma Oblo (non-profit theatre) does

Cinéma Oblò is a non-profit cinema and cultural venue established in November 2003 in Lausanne, Switzerland, operated by the volunteer-led Association Ciné-Clap. Its stated mission is to present films outside the commercial circuit — documentaries, short films, animation, experimental and low-budget productions — to the widest possible audience, with a specific emphasis on Swiss films that face distribution challenges. Programming is curated on political and ethical principles and is open to proposals from the public, subject to a 30 CHF annual membership requirement. Beyond film screenings, the venue hosts exhibitions, musical performances, theatre, and dance events using flexible spaces in front of the screen.

The core offering is a single 50-seat cinema hall in a converted warehouse at Avenue de France 9, 1004 Lausanne, with rent covered by the City of Lausanne as the organisation's only fixed subsidy. There is no paid staff, no reservation system, and no fixed ticket pricing; admission operates on a "prix libre" (pay-what-you-wish) basis with voluntary donations. Revenue is derived from the in-kind municipal subsidy, 30 CHF annual membership dues, and donations. Community engagement is sustained through a newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram channels — there is no streaming, no digital distribution, no app, and no third-party sales channels. The model is explicitly community-governed, with operational decisions made by volunteers and an elected committee, and no external investors or parent entity involved.

Name

Cinéma Oblo (non-profit theatre)

Legal name

Association Ciné-Clap

Website

https://oblo.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cinéma Oblò is a volunteer-run, non-profit cinema in Lausanne, Switzerland, screening non-commercial, independent, and Swiss films for the local community. It operates a 50-seat venue funded by a City of Lausanne rent subsidy, 30 CHF memberships, and voluntary donations under a pay-what-you-wish admissions model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Cinema / Non-Profit Arts Venue

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL)

Keywords

• Independent film screenings
• Non-profit cinema
• Community arts venue
• Swiss film programming
• Experimental film exhibition

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. City of Lausanne Subsidy: Fixed annual subsidy from the City of Lausanne, representing the only stable public funding. This is the sole fixed financial support the cinema receives.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of 30 CHF required for proposing events. This provides recurring modest revenue and builds a member community.
3. Donations: Voluntary donations from patrons. Donors may benefit from tax deductions as the association promotes independent cinema.
4. Event Admission (Prix Libre): Free-entry policy with voluntary donations ('prix libre') at events, allowing patrons to pay what they can. No fixed ticket pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cinéma Oblò operates a 50-seat non-profit cinema venue in Lausanne that screens non-commercial films — documentaries, short films, animation, experimental cinema, and low-budget productions — with a particular focus on Swiss films that struggle to find mainstream distribution. The venue also offers flexible space for exhibitions, musical performances, theatre, and dance events, with entry offered on a free, donation-based basis (prix libre). All operations are carried out by volunteers under the governance of Association Ciné-Clap.

Product overview

Cinéma Oblò is a non-profit cinema venue in Lausanne opened in November 2003. The core offering is the 50-seat cinema showing non-commercial films (documentaries, short films, animation, experimental and low-budget films) with emphasis on Swiss cinema. The venue also hosts exhibitions and live performances (concerts, theater, dance) using flexible spaces including an open area in front of the screen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cinéma Oblò Cinema Venue A 50-seat non-profit cinema venue in Lausanne screening non-commercial films including documentaries, short films, animation, experimental films, and low-budget productions, with priority given to Swiss films. Open to the general public on a free, donation-based basis.
• Event Hosting and Live Performance Space Flexible venue space at Cinéma Oblò available for hosting exhibitions, musical performances, theatre productions, and dance events, with an open area in front of the cinema screen suited to live performances. Use is governed by membership and event proposal guidelines.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Lausanne Film Festival / Festival du film de Lausanne: Regional film festivals in the Lausanne/Western Switzerland area that program independent, documentary, and Swiss cinema. Comparable as curated exhibition of non-commercial cinema to the same Lausanne-area audience, though operating on a periodic event basis.

Direct peers

• Stadtkino Basel: Independent art-house cinema in Basel programming non-mainstream films, documentaries, and international cinema with a cultural mission. Comparable as a Swiss independent single-location cinema serving a culturally engaged local audience.
• Le Cinéma Spoutnik: Volunteer-run independent/art-house cinema in Geneva focused on non-commercial and experimental programming. Directly comparable in governance (volunteer association model), pricing (free/donation-based), and programming philosophy.
• Cinémathèque suisse: Swiss national film archive and cinematheque also based in the Lausanne region, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting non-commercial, archival, and art-house cinema. Closely comparable mission of showing films outside the mainstream commercial circuit to cultural audiences.
• Kino in der Reitschule (Bern): Volunteer-run independent cinema in Bern operating on political and cultural principles, showing non-commercial films. Highly comparable governance structure (volunteer-driven, mission-led, prix libre or low-cost pricing) and programming philosophy.
• Cinéma Rex (Bern): Independent art-house cinema in Bern showing independent, documentary, and non-mainstream films. Comparable as a Swiss independent cinema serving a culturally engaged audience outside the multiplex circuit.

Broad incumbents

• IFcinéma (Institut français): Institutional film distribution and curation platform affiliated with the Institut Français, supporting art-house and independent cinema programming at affiliated venues globally. Comparable as an enabling distribution/programming partner for non-commercial cinema venues.
• Arthouse Cinemas (Piccadilly / Piccolo): Swiss cinema association operating multiple art-house and program cinemas across Switzerland with curated non-mainstream programming. Comparable as a broader art-house exhibition network operating in the same niche across multiple Swiss cities.

Emerging players

• Ciné-clubs and university film societies (Switzerland): Numerous university and community ciné-clubs across Switzerland (e.g., at EPFL, UNIL, UNIGE) that curate screenings of independent, documentary, and experimental cinema. Comparable as grassroots programming venues serving niche audiences with community-driven governance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cinemaoblo
• Instagraminstagram.com/cinemaoblo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cin-ma-oblo-non-profit-theatre-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cinéma Oblo (non-profit theatre)