Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) -A total of 40 libraries throughout Flanders and Brussels will activate Cinébib today. The streaming platform currently offers 1,500 available titles to users. The content available on Cinébib includes feature films from arthouse cinema, documentaries, and youth titles, as well as films from Belgian auteur directors.
The new Cinébib streaming platform emerges today with support from forty libraries across Brussels and Flanders. Through its platform, users have access to 1,500 titles that cover arthouse feature films and documentaries alongside youth films and Belgian auteur cinema. The new service grants library members unlimited access to a wide array of high-quality films that extend traditional DVD resources through digital infrastructure.
“The public libraries make high-quality films easily accessible digitally,”
Says Ilke Froyen, director of Cultuurconnect, which coordinates the project.
“They offer film lovers a supplement to the major streaming services with mostly commercial content.”
The offering varies from (arthouse) feature films, documentaries, and youth films to Belgian auteur cinema.
“There is growing interest in the service,”
Froyen continues.
“The platform offers a carefully selected range of quality films.”
What is the history behind Cinébib’s launch?
Cinébib started operating as part of an increasing public library momentum towards embracing digital transformation. Public libraries in Flanders and Brussels have stepped up their efforts to develop digital service capabilities because users’ demands are shifting.
Research indicates that the more than 300 Flanders-based public libraries serve millions of library members each year. Cinébib launched with 1,500 titles to become a major milestone in offering free, high-quality cultural materials for users.
The platform serves as an addition to the libraries’ traditional stable of DVD collections on which film enthusiasts depend. Belgian cinema, alongside arthouse films, stands out on Cinébib since they generally face limited acknowledgement on commercial streaming platforms. Cinébib fits within broader efforts to advocate both local cultural diversity and easy access to materials. The streaming service market dominance allows Cinébib to deliver its special non-commercial approach, featuring carefully selected diverse films.
