Seven years after the closure of the Magic Cinema, Bobigny has its cinema back. CinemaNext equipped it with laser digital projection and Dolby sound, from floor to ceiling.
On March 11, 2026, the residents of Bobigny (France) got their cinema back. Seven years after the closure of the Magic Cinema in 2019, whose last two screens had continued operating until the demolition of the aging shopping center that housed them, this city of over 55,000 inhabitants finally has a permanent, modern, and fully public facility. Throughout those years of waiting, traveling screenings had been organised by the Écran Nomade in various venues across the city: the media library, the conservatory, the trade union hall. A valuable stopgap, but one that could never replace the experience of a real cinema.
The new Alice Guy Cinema is part of a large-scale urban renewal project: it sits at the heart of Bobigny's new "Cœur de ville" (City Center) district, built on the site of the demolished shopping center, just steps from the Pablo-Picasso metro station (Line 5). The site, which will eventually include nearly 1,200 homes and 11,000 m² of retail space, will also benefit from the future Grand Paris Express Line 15, positioning the cinema at the center of a catchment area of 350,000 residents reachable within 15 minutes.
A Community Project, From Concept to Name
This cinema bears the mark of a participatory approach right down to its name. Following a public consultation organised by the Est Ensemble territorial authority, residents chose to name their new cinema after Alice Guy, the world's first female film director, who made the film La Fée aux choux as early as 1896. A meaningful choice, in keeping with the territory's policy of naming public facilities after women, alongside the Nina Simone and Joséphine Baker conservatories and the Alice Milliat swimming pool.
Funded at a total cost of €23 million — €19M from Est Ensemble, €3M from the State, and €1M from the Greater Paris Metropolis — the Alice Guy Cinema ranks, alongside Le Méliès in Montreuil, among the largest public art-house cinemas in France and Europe. It joins a network that is a source of great pride for the area: Est Ensemble now operates six public cinemas, which its elected representatives describe as the largest public cinema network in France.
Alice Guy Cinema - Key Numbers
Screens, including 3 multipurpose auditoriums
Seats (including accessible seating)
Total Investment
Ticket Prices
Accessibility, Diversity, Social Ties
In a city whose income levels rank among the lowest in France, the Alice Guy Cinema's pricing policy sends a clear political message: €4 to €7 per screening, with both dubbed and original-language showings depending on the time slot, so that a trip to the cinema is within everyone's reach. "There is a political will to keep prices accessible so that the entire population can take ownership of this place, even people with limited means," says Ariane Mestre, the cinema's artistic director.
The programming itself is designed to reflect the city. Blockbusters, French comedies, art-house films, original-language screenings, productions from around the world: "Bobigny is a city of immense diversity, and that will come through in the programming," said operations director Victor Courgeon. Three of the six screens are flexible-format and will also host live performances — concerts, dance, theater — while a café-bookshop is set to open in the 300 m² main lobby, the first bookshop in Bobigny in several years. Film clubs, media literacy programs, and practical workshops are also planned, particularly in partnership with neighboring secondary schools.
"Cinema allows you to cast an eye on the world, to sharpen your thinking." — Jean-Pascal Zadi, French actor & patron of the Alice Guy cinema, native of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Projection Technology — A Tailored Solution for Each Screen
It was in this context of a venue laden with expectations, symbolism, and ambition that CinemaNext stepped in to equip all six screens of the Alice Guy Cinema. As the European specialist in technical services and solutions for cinemas, CinemaNext selected the Barco range for all projectors, matching the power and model to the configuration of each individual screen.
The main auditorium (Screen 1) is equipped with the Barco SP4K-35B, a high-power 4K laser projector delivering exceptional image precision and brightness. Screen 2 features the Barco SP4K-20C MK II, a compact version of the 4K laser projector. Screens 3 and 6 are each fitted with a Barco SP2K-15S, while Screens 4 and 5 receive the Barco SP2K-11S.
Screen 1 - Main Auditorium
Barco SP4K-35B & ICMP X BARCO server
4K Laser · Active 3D
Screen 2 - Mid-size Auditorium
Barco SP4K-20C & ICMP X BARCO server
Compact 4K Laser
Screens 3 & 6
Barco SP2K-15S & ICMP X BARCO server
2K Laser · Compact 2K
Screens 4 & 5
Barco SP2K-11S + ICMP X BARCO server
Compact 2K Laser
Sound — Dolby CP950 Across All Screens
On the audio side, CinemaNext deployed six 16-channel Dolby CP950 processors, one per screen. This industry-reference processor delivers high-fidelity 7.1 audio management.
Shared Infrastructure and Automation
Beyond projection and sound, CinemaNext structured the entire shared technical infrastructure across all six projection booths: the CinemaNext TMS and CinemaNext PAA20+ automation adapters for centralised screening and auditorium management.
CinemaNext in the Service of Public Cinema
By equipping the Alice Guy Cinema with top-tier professional technology, CinemaNext demonstrates that technical excellence is not the exclusive preserve of multiplex chains. This project reflects the company's commitment to public, art-house, and independent cinemas, for which image and sound quality are equally vital, as drivers of audience appeal, loyalty, and the fulfillment of their cultural mission.
For the residents of Bobigny, who waited seven years for cinema to return to their city, every screening shown in this new facility means far more than entertainment: it is an affirmation that Seine-Saint-Denis, France's youngest département and one of its most working-class, deserves nothing but the best.
Bobigny's Alice Guy Cinema Enters a New Era with CinemaNext