As joint sponsorship partners, Barco, IMAX® and Vista Group will once again serve as Champions of the Programme, supporting UNIC’s ongoing mission to foster a more diverse, inclusive and representative cinema industry. UNIC is currently selecting mentors and mentees for the 2026–27 edition of the programme.
Launched in 2017, the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme aims to address the gender gap in senior decision-making roles across the cinema exhibition sector by pairing emerging female professionals with experienced women executives. To date, the programme has welcomed 184 alumni from 119 companies across 30 countries.
Welcoming today’s announcement, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte commented: “Huge thanks to Barco, IMAX and Vista Group for their continued backing of the programme. Diverse leadership is essential to the long-term strength, relevance and success of our industry, and their support helps us empower talented women to shape the future of cinema.”
“As long-time supporters of this programme, we’ve seen first-hand how powerful it is when women in our industry are given the mentorship, visibility, and sponsorship they deserve,” said Natasha Fernandes, Chief Financial Officer at IMAX. “Our industry is at its best when a wide range of perspectives are helping to make the big decisions, and initiatives like the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme are critical to building that kind of leadership pipeline for the long term.”
“Vista Group is proud to continue supporting the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme, an initiative that plays a vital role in advancing gender-balanced leadership across the industry,” said Anna Ferguson, Chief People Officer at Vista Group. “Championing diversity and inclusion is core to who we are, and we value how this programme creates meaningful pathways for women to grow, lead and make a lasting impact throughout the cinema sector.”
“Barco Cinema is proud to support UNIC’s Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme because it strengthens the leadership pipeline in cinema exhibition, where diverse, capable teams make better decisions and build healthier businesses. Mentorship and peer networks create confidence and momentum, and they help talented women step into the senior roles our industry needs. We’re committed to doing our part in shaping a more balanced, future-ready cinema landscape.” said Gerwin Damberg, Executive Vice President, Barco Cinema.
The 2026-27 programme will run for a year from June, following its launch at CineEurope. Applications for the tenth edition are now closed for mentees. If you would like to find out more about being a mentor, please contact lgaltier@unic-cinemas.org.
Notes for editors
The UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme is a 12-month cross-sector, international mentoring scheme for women in cinema exhibition.
Launched in 2017, the Programme is rooted in the belief that gender-balanced leadership in cinema exhibition is imperative for business success, better governance and equity in the industry.
Find out why mentoring matters, in our mentors’ and mentees’ own words here.
More information here.
The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC)
The Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) represents the interests of cinema trade associations and cinema operators covering 39 countries in Europe and neighbouring regions. More information at www.unic-cinemas.org
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) is a global leader in entertainment technology, delivering immersive cinematic experiences through proprietary software, architecture, and projection systems. Filmmakers, studios, and artists worldwide use IMAX to connect with audiences at scale, making its network one of the most powerful platforms for blockbuster events and entertainment.
Headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, IMAX operates 1,864 systems across 91 countries and territories as of December 31, 2025. IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code “1970.” IMAX and related marks are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. For more information, visit www.imax.com.
About Vista Group International
Vista Group International Ltd (Vista Group) is a public company, founded in New Zealand in 1996 and listed on both the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges in 2014 (NZX & ASX: VGL). Vista Group is a global leader in providing tech solutions to the international film industry. With brands including Vista, Veezi, Movio, Numero, Maccs, Flicks and Powster, Vista Group’s expertise covers cinema management software; loyalty, moviegoer engagement and marketing; film distribution software; box office reporting; creative studio solutions; and the Flicks movie, cinema and streaming website and app. www.vista.co
About BARCO
Barco, headquartered in Kortrijk (Belgium), is a global company leading in visualization, networking, and collaboration technology. Its innovative solutions drive advancements in the healthcare, enterprise, and entertainment markets. At the heart of Barco’s success are over 3,000 dedicated ‘visioneers’, each passionately contributing to driving change through technology.
Listed on Euronext (BAR), Reuters (BARBt.BR), and Bloomberg (BAR BB), Barco realized sales of 1,050 million euro in 2023. For further insights, please visit http://www.barco.com or connect on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Further Enquiries
lgaltier@unic-cinemas.org | +32 4841 8391 | @UNIC_Cinemas