Planeta: Open for Exploring Cinema and Media

History. Since 1963, a two-screen cinema Planeta had been operating in Vilnius at 2 Goštauto Street. However, as the recession hit in 1997, only one of the halls remained open as a cinema, renamed as the Skalvija Cinema Centre, while the second one was converted into a computer games salon, later becoming the Kinema Film Studio. In 2018, the Vilnius City Council decided to put these premises back on the map of public cultural spaces and since December 2019, the building has been known as the PLANETA Film & Media Space.

Cinematheque. Planeta has become the home of the media education and research centre Meno Avilys and its cinematheque, a selection of films collected for 15 years and the country’s largest film and media library and reading room. The Cinematheque was established based on Jonas Mekas’s collection of publications.

Skalvija Film Academy. Planeta also houses the Skalvija Film Academy, which has been providing filmmaking classes for 14-18 year-old youth since 2007. Here, the young students learn about the process of filmmaking, the theory and history of cinema, and how to make short films.

Activities. Planeta mainly hosts activities carried out by Meno Avilys or the neighbouring Skalvija Film Centre: workshops, film education and media literacy classes, screenings, international and local conferences and meetings with filmmakers, among others. It also hosts sessions for children, teenagers and literary professionals as part of the Vaikų Žemė literary discovery programme.

Virtual Reality. Planeta is equipped with virtual reality stations with only projects of distinct artistic and educational value exhibited to the public.

Rental. The two Planeta halls, which can be transformed into one larger space upon request, are often rented out by external cultural organisations for events such as film festivals. To enquire about rentals, please contact zygimantas.jancoras@menoavilys.lt.

Planeta welcomes everyone interested in cinema and media culture!