Tuesday 23 June 2026
9:30 – 16:00
MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Via Giovanni Minzoni 14, 40121 Bologna, Italy.

Free admission. No reservation needed.

Workshop organised by ACE in collaboration with FIAF’s Technical Commission and Cineteca di Bologna.
Curated by Chicca Bergonzi, Anne Gant, Sophie Tsotridis, Arianna Turci.

9:30 Welcome by Gian Luca Farinelli

9:45 Introduction by Michal Bregant and Thomas Christensen: AI in European film archives.

10:00 – 13:00 Session 1: AI In Film Restoration
Introduction and moderation by Anne Gant (Eye Filmmuseum)

• Franz Hoeller (Diamant): The use of AI as a support for the Diamant algorithms Examples from the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique and the Filmarchiv Austria
• Tiago Borrões (Cineric Portugal): AI Tools for Film Restoration: Color Recovery and Subtitle Removal
• Nick Verlinden (Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique): Let’s talk about AI & ethics in film restoration
• Elena Tammaccaro, Céline Stéphanie Pozzi, Francesca Chelu Deiana (L’Immagine Ritrovata): Does AI wear glasses?
• Brice Amouroux (INA): “AI in audiovisual collection enhancement – Can we? Should we? Examples of some INA practical case studies.
• Sreya Chatterjee, Uli Ruedel, Franziska Heller (HTW Berlin): Digital Restoration and AI Interventions: Comparative Parameter Studies and the Critical Role of Visual Literacy

Open discussion

14:00 – 16:00 Session 2: AI for research purpose and audiovisual Management
Curated and moderated by Arianna Turci and Sophie Tsotridis (Cinémathèque royale de Belgique)

With this speaker selection we aimed at representing the diversity of AI experimentations when it comes to collection management: from Film Archives (Meemoo, CINEMATEK, TAI), to TV (RTVE), and how collaborating with researchers and GLAM institutions (EPFL, DFF/Europeana) is key to develop future tools.

• Sophie Tsotridis (Cinémathèque royale de Belgique): Introduction to the afternoon session – Putting AI to Work: Opportunities and Ethical Stakes for Film Related Collections. Presenting current AI use cases in collection management from a film archive and main ethical stakes
• Aexelle Vanmaele (Meemoo): Metadata creation and enrichment using artificial intelligence at Meemoo. (online)
• Virginia Bazan GIl (RTVE, FIAT/ITFA): Implementing AI in Spanish Television.
• Kristina Rose (DFF): DE-BIAS: Detecting and contextualizing biassed language in metadata
• Fabio Bedoya: TAI – Trust in Archive Toolkit for Collection Management. Presenting how this new resource can be used in Film archives and help introducing AI safely in Collection Management
• Sarah Kenderline (EPFL Lausanne): Research Meets the Archive: Computational Methods and Public Access for Film Archives. (online)

Open discussion

On 24 June 2025, at MAMbo in Bologna, Jay Weissberg, Director of the Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone), delivered an insightful presentation on strategies for sharing and promoting heritage cinema in a changing cultural landscape.

Slideshow: Explore the presentation slides here.

Workshop: Find details about the full ACE workshop here.

Association des Cinémathèques Européennes – ACE Workshop

in partnership with FIAF’s PACC (Programming and Access to Collections Commission of the International Federation of Film Archives) and Il Cinema Ritrovato

Tuesday 24 June 2025
14:00 – 17:30
MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Via Giovanni Minzoni 14, 40121 Bologna, Italy.

Free admission. No reservation needed.

How to Disseminate Heritage Cinema in a Changing Society?
Context, Responsibility, and Engagement: Strategies for Selecting and Programming Controversial Films While Preserving the Integrity of Our Audiovisual Heritage

Classic films often reflect the complexities, contradictions, and sometimes troubling aspects of the eras in which they were made. In the context of evolving societal paradigms and increasingly diverse audiences, programming classic cinema today poses both challenges and opportunities. The role of film archives and Cinémathèques is not just to preserve and disseminate cinematic heritage, but also to provide meaningful and responsible mediation.

Today’s audiences, influenced by changing social values, heightened cultural sensitivities, and a growing awareness of historical injustices, view these works through new and diverse lenses.

The workshop will explore how programmers, curators and cultural mediators can respond to changing contexts by encouraging dialogue and helping audiences engage with the complexities of cinema history through modern and inclusive tools.

It will address several key issues related to the topic, including the evolution of programming and dissemination practices, the importance of contextualization, an analysis of new audiences’ dynamics, and parallels with the academic environment today.

The discussion will also reflect on the role of film archives within the audiovisual and cultural sectors, as well as the need for adequate financial resources for appropriate mediation actions, professional training and educational projects.

It will focus on the possibility of a dynamic, reflective approach to heritage cinema: one that can address controversy openly and embraces cinema’s capacity to illuminate the past while encouraging reflection in the present.

The panel will include contributions and testimonials from film programmers and curators, academics, and professionals working in the archival and cinema fields.

14:00 Introduction

Session 1: Curating Meaning: The Evolution of Film Programming Practices, Contextualization and Contemporary Audiences

14:15 – 14:30 Jay Weissberg (Director, Giornate del cinema muto, Pordenone)

14:30 – 14:45 Stefanie Schulte Strathaus (Artistic Director, Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art, Berlin)

14:45 – 15:00 Chalida Uabumrungjit (Director, Thai Film Archive)

15:00 – 15:15 Maelle Arnaud (Directrice de la programmation, Institut Lumière)

15:15 – 15:30 Discussion

15:30 – 15:45 Break

Session 2: New Archival Practices and the Future of Film Heritage: Mediation, Education, and Cultural Challenges

15:45 – 16:15 Lou Burkart (Curator, Eye Filmmuseum) & Sreya Chatterjee (Doctoral researcher, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg & HTW – University of Applied Sciences, Berlin)

16:15 – 16:30 Gérald Duchaussoy (Responsable section Cannes Classics, chargé de programmation au MIFC – Marché international du film classique – Lyon)

16:30 – 16:45 Anne Bidaux (Responsable des offres numériques cinéma et séries, ARTE)

16:45 – 17:00 Discussion

Closing Speech

17:00 – 17:30 Gianluca Farinelli (Director, Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna)

This year’s ACE Workshop will focus on the state of digital preservation and the strategies for sharing digital content, VOD platforms, archival festivals, and cross-border access to European film heritage.

Click here for the full programme and speakers.

Date, Time: Tuesday 27 June, 13:30 – 17:00

Location: MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Via Giovanni Minzoni 14, 40121 Bologna, Italy

Admission is free.