In the northern districts of Clermont-Ferrand, the last independent cinema in the metropolis is faltering. Four months after its reopening, the Rio is in cessation of payments. The outcome, hopes the association “Les amis du Rio” which keeps it alive, will be a legal recovery allowing the activity to continue “under the observation of justice” indicates Jean-Jacques Romeuf, member of the board of directors.
Unheard of for this place, born in 1962 under the leadership of Nick Kéchichian, a film-loving tailor who had built a small house with a projection room to manage with Frida, his wife.
Three elements are at the origin of this situation. First, the renovation of the establishment: the project took longer than expected. Reopening postponed from September 2025 to early January 2026, and mathematically, “a fairly serious operating loss”. Subsidies, then: 150,000 to 160,000 euros are promised, but the money will only arrive once the invoices have been paid.
A “completely absurd” equation, confides the association, which nevertheless notes “recent good news” from the National Center for Cinema and Animated Images (CNC) or even from the departmental council. “The CNC promised us a lot of money,” explains Jean-Jacques Romeuf. But in fact, we are in the process of discussing with them so that they give us at least part before the payment date of all the invoices. Otherwise, we’ll never get out of this.”
Finally, attendance: 2,700 spectators in 2025, thanks to the “Rio itinerant” deployed in neighboring theaters, where the cinema usually welcomes 30,000 each year.
“We were going to screen in theaters in the Clermont metropolis and even in the department. This allowed us to reach this figure. This drop poses a real problem not only for entry tickets, but especially for certain subsidies. For example, the European subsidy called Europa Cinema was not allocated to us as usual since we did not have enough films to screen. Enough to make certain aid conditional on the volume of sessions disappear. HAS”
Près de 25 000 euros déjà collectés
The soul of the place remains. That of the “Pitchounes” sessions, which benefit young people from neighboring schools and colleges. That of image education and critical reading. That of a neighborhood with no other independent cinema. “The Rio is in the minds of the people of Clermont,” summarizes Jean-Jacques Romeuf, who has since seen signs of support and donations pour in. Because an online prize pool was launched a few weeks ago and has already almost reached 25,000 euros out of the 100,000 hoped for.
Other institutions are also mobilizing, such as the association “Sauve-qui-peut le court-métrage” which will organize a support evening or even the Clermont-based cinema “Les Ambiances” whose money raised from the sale of its old seats will be donated to the Rio. A collective song to avoid “waking up one morning and no longer having The Rio. HAS”
