Kino ARMATA

Help keep Kino Armata open!

Kino Armata is a non-profit public cinema and cultural space located in the heart of Prishtina, Kosova. Housed in a building that dates back to the early socialist era, it was originally known as Kino APJ and was part of a multi-functional cultural complex for the Yugoslav People's Army. For decades, the building remained closed to the public, first due to apartheid and war, and later as it became the headquarters of international protectorate institutions in Kosovo. 

In 2018, the cinema hall was reclaimed and transformed into a space for independent film, culture, and civic life. This was made possible through a public-civic partnership that led to the founding of the Armata Foundation, which was tasked with managing the venue and opening it to the public. Since then, Armata has hosted hundreds of free events, including film screenings, concerts, workshops, festivals, and talks. These events include both the Foundation’s own programming and those organized by outside collaborators who use the space with its support.

Today, Kino Armata is facing many challenges. Since late 2024, a legal deadlock between institutions has cast serious uncertainty over the future of the space. A vague clause in a contract between state and local authorities has led to confusion over who can lay legitimate claims over the space, prompting efforts to bring it back under direct state administration. As bureaucratic roadblocks endure, all financial transactions related to the cinema have been frozen. While barely functional during the winter months, crucial infrastructure like heating has been fully restored, though institutions have yet to provide support for space maintenance and cleaning services. 

For months,  Armata’s limited but essential programming persisted through our staff’s unpaid labour and of those who have supported it in various ways over the years. Currently, due to Armata's persistence and support through donations, international and institutional funding, Kino Armata stands on more solid ground compared to the beginning of 2025. 

However, as a new government struggles to consolidate and funding agencies risk further divesting from the non-profit and cultural sector, Armata faces ongoing financial uncertainty. At the moment, as we operate through short-term, project-based grants and voluntary donations, long-term planning and sustainable working conditions for our team remain difficult. Regardless, we remain resolute in keeping the space open, autonomous, and community-based. We do so because we believe in Armata and the broader collective struggle of defending culture as a public good and of affirming our right to the city. 

As authoritarianism and neoliberalism further crack down on the public sphere and open dialogue globally, this is simultaneously a fragile and generative moment. With an unsteady future ahead, we thank all friends, colleagues, neighbours, film enthusiasts, civil society members, and spontaneous visitors who have donated and/or engaged with our questionnaires, critical discussions, and moments of playfulness and rest as we do our best to strategize and mobilize for a Kino Armata that can act with assurance, clarity, and renewed purpose. 

To  continue this crucial work, we need continued community-based and cross-border solidarity, and financial support. If you long for an independent public sphere and culture; If the work that we do matters to you, please help us build a stable future. Share our open collective website, spread the word, and consider donating if you can. All contributions make a huge difference for Armata!

Thank you, 

Armata Team