Section 3: Approval of cinemas

The technical specifications of cinemas and technical projection equipment, compliance with which is a condition for the approval of a cinema entertainment establishment under articles L. 212-14 and L. 212-17, are set by decision of the Chairman of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée taken pursuant to 2° of Article L. 111-3.

Approval of a screening room and its technical projection equipment is granted by the President of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée for a screening room and its technical projection equipment or, in the case of touring activity, for the technical projection equipment alone, on the basis of a file which is attached to the application for authorisation to operate and which includes all elements capable of…

Approval derogating from some of the technical specifications required under article L. 212-14 may be granted by the Chairman of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, under the provisions of article L. 212-17, to the operator of a cinematographic establishment who so requests: 1° If it is technically impossible to comply with some of these specifications due to specific architectural features or constraints linked to projection technology;…

The application for approval mentioned in article R. 212-12 indicates the technical specifications with which the applicant cannot comply, the rooms concerned and the equipment in the establishment to which these specifications apply. It is accompanied by all the information and documents needed to justify the exemption requested, in particular the programming project in the case mentioned in 4° of article R. 212-12.

The approval granted by the President of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée in application of article R. 212-12 specifies: 1° The technical specifications from which derogations are made; 2° The cinemas and equipment of the establishment concerned; 3° When it is granted on the basis of 4° of article R. 212-12, its period of validity.

In order to issue the approval referred to in article R. 212-12, the President of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée may consult, depending on the exemption requested, experts in the fields of cinema exhibition, architecture, cinema projection techniques, business management, accounting and financing, heritage conservation, as well as people working in the cultural field within local authorities.

If the President of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée remains silent for more than four months on an application for approval mentioned in article R. 212-12, this is deemed to be a decision of acceptance.

The President of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée may withdraw approval if it turns out that the characteristics of a cinema or the technical projection equipment do not comply with the description in the application file on the basis of which approval was granted, that approval was granted on the basis of false information contained in this file or when the conditions to which approval was…