Timeless Cinema, a platform designed to make it easier for cinemas to programme classic films, has been launched during the inaugural edition of the Cannes’ Cinemas Club, the exhibition hub created by Cine Group and the Marché du Film.
As classic films enjoy a resurgence in popularity in cinemas, some independent exhibitors are struggling with the practicalities of discovering who holds the rights, as well as booking, clearance and delivery details.
The platform was founded by Leslie Vuchot, who also founded festival programming consultancy The Festival Agency in 2009 and operates Le Lucernaire arthouse cinema in Paris.
According to Vuchot, around 1,500 cinemas have so far signed up for the service, which offers access to a catalogue of over 800 titles from 10 rights-holding companies. During the festival, the platform also announced a partnership with La Cinémathèque Française, which has worldwide rights to classic films by directors such as René Clair and Jean Epstein.
Vuchot said that for rights owners, the platform offers monetisation opportunities for underused catalogues by providing direct access to venues and markets. Rights holders can set territories, pricing and deal terms, negotiate dynamically and track demand across markets.
For cinema programmers, Timeless Cinema also offers curated selections of anniversaries, retrospectives and event ready titles.
Timeless Cimena was first presented as a prototype at the Marché International du Film Classique, with the support of the CNC during Festival Lumière in October 2025. It recently secured additional support from the CNC’s Aide aux Moyens Techniques programme.
“Timeless Cinema was created with and for cinema programmers and rights owners, with one clear objective, to make their work easier,” said Vuchot. ”Our DNA has always been to help programmers show films and enhance collective experience. One film screening on the big screen equals one victory.
“Having worked across distribution and exhibition, I experienced first-hand how fragmented and time consuming the process of booking classic films can be. We wanted to build a reliable, transparent and trusted solution tailored to the real needs of the people who bring these films back to the big screen.”
Timeless Cinema was also presented to members of Europa Cinemas during its annual Cannes gathering, as well as during Dolby Innovation Day at the festival.
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