Videobet is an arthouse cinema and film centre based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It began in February 2025 as a bi-monthly curated screening programme, hosted at a local multiplex. Since its inception, the initiative has focused on presenting a diverse selection of Ethiopian and international independent films. Following the opening of its own 200-seat cinema in February 2026, Videobet now serves as a dedicated venue for repertory and contemporary screenings, as well as discussions and community gatherings centered on film.

We spoke with Videobet’s co-founder and creative director, Beza Hailu Lemma, about the cinema’s distinctive historical significance, the balance of its programming, and its approach to community-building across film production, exhibition, and criticism.

Could you introduce Videobet to us and tell us a little about its history? How was it founded, and how was it initially financed?

Videobet, which translates to ‘Video House’ in Amharic, is an arthouse cinema and film center located in Addis Ababa. The name itself is a nod to a significant era in Ethiopian urban culture. In the 1990s and 2000s, a ‘Videobet’ was a common sight: a small, intimate, and often crowded quasi-cinema where neighborhood film enthusiasts gathered to watch mostly pirated American and Indian films on small TV screens. Maintaining the original core values of community and a shared love for storytelling, the new Videobet reflects the spirit of its roots and the places where we were raised. This new iteration embraces a broader programming palette, a significantly larger space, and a platform for deeper, thriving conversations.  

We first started as a bi-monthly curated cinema program at a local multiplex a year ago in February 2025. Since its inception, the initiative has focused on showcasing a diverse selection of Ethiopian and international independent films, while creating a space for meaningful cinematic engagement and dialogue. A year after its founding, we expanded Videobet into a full time cinema situated in the iconic Red Terror Martyr’s Museum in central Addis Ababa in February 2026. The financing for the expansion came entirely from me and my co-founder Bandamlak Yimenu.

Could you also speak about the physical space of Videobet? How would you describe the cinema to someone who has never visited?

Videobet secured its permanent venue, an old cinema, in the fall of 2025, located next to Meskel Square within the Red Terror Martyrs’ Museum complex. The formerly closed cinema underwent an extensive three-month renovation to fully restore the space. This modernisation included comprehensive structural, electrical, and plumbing overhauls, the installation of state-of-the-art 4K laser projection, surround sound, and lighting systems, and the construction of a new control room, stage, and ground-floor reception/cafe area. The new Videobet Cinema, situated on the museum’s first floor, now features 230 fully functional seats. 

As Videobet is situated within a museum, how do you navigate the different priorities and institutional logics of these two contexts?

Our relationship with the museum leadership is excellent and built on mutual respect for boundaries. Given that the space is a memorial museum honoring the many innocent victims of the Derg Military Regime, we fully appreciate its profound significance. For this reason, we are extremely careful about how we operate and ensure that our customers and the broader community also maintain the utmost respect for the location. This cautious conduct is the only constraint placed upon us by the museum, a condition we are entirely happy to uphold. In all other operational aspects, the cinema is run with complete independence, covering everything from programming and scheduling to promotion and screenings.

I understand that your programme focuses on locally produced and directed films that challenge audiences. Could you elaborate on your programming strategies? What specific challenges are associated with screening restored African films?

We are currently focused on developing a balanced film program that includes a mix of contemporary and repertoire screenings from Ethiopian, African, and international cinema. While current Ethiopian films are increasingly difficult to acquire due to a shrinking market, we are collaborating with major industry figures to organise and conduct unprecedented retrospectives of Ethiopian filmmakers. We have also secured agreements with several African distributors to screen both new and classic films from the continent. For example, we recently concluded a successful, month-long retrospective of Ousmane Sembene’s work. Our programming is highly curated and aims to strike a balance between cinephile favorites, accessible fare, and arthouse Ethiopian and African films.

Negotiating for restored African films is generally less challenging than for major world cinema classics. We find African distributors are more understanding of the difficulties in sustaining an initiative like Videobet in the Global South, which allows us to negotiate fair terms. These classics are also very popular with our audience. In contrast, securing films and negotiating with European or Asian distributors is more difficult.

How do you build partnerships with production companies, artists, short filmmakers, distributors, and brands (such as beer companies)? What are the challenges that you face?

We prioritise partnerships built on a shared passion for filmmaking and exhibition, fostering strong relationships with local and international filmmakers, distributors, and brands. While each partnership is unique, we work diligently to establish mutually agreeable terms. A common challenge is navigating collaborations with entities unfamiliar with the Ethiopian context, and we strive to ensure clear understanding to secure fair deals for all parties. 

Videobet also serves as a vital film center for the local filmmaking community, freely offering space to emerging filmmakers for screenings of their short and feature films.

What is the composition of your audience?

Our audience is mainly made up of local cinephiles, film industry professionals, casual moviegoers and expats. But it is evolving, and we will have more details to share soon once we have operated for longer.

Could you tell us more about your initiatives related to film criticism, such as the Videobet Film Podcast and your forthcoming film essay magazine, Hayasi?

A significant area of our work is dedicated to cultivating a robust culture of film criticism in Ethiopia, primarily through two key platforms: our monthly film podcast, Videobet, and our upcoming quarterly magazine, Hayasi. The Videobet podcast features regular conversations where our co-founder, Bandamlak Yimenu, and guests from Addis Ababa’s filmmaking community discuss a diverse range of films from around the globe. Launching soon, Hayasi will be a quarterly film essay magazine. It is designed to be a prominent platform for both established and emerging voices, including critics, filmmakers, film lovers, journalists and funders to share in-depth ideas, perspectives, and opinions on cinema. Both the podcast and Hayasi are initiatives born out of a desire to unite the Ethiopian film community through shared discourse, thoughtful conversation, and a mutual passion for moving images.

How do you see cinema spaces intersecting with community, education, film criticism, and filmmaking?

A dedicated cinema space, especially one that doubles as a film center like ours, serves as a crucial intersection for the entire cinematic ecosystem. It fundamentally fosters community by providing a consistent physical gathering place for cinephiles, filmmakers, and the general public, moving film consumption beyond isolated viewing. Through screenings, workshops, panel discussions and open access for emerging artists, it drives education and filmmaking by offering both formal and informal training, critical context, and a vital platform for local work to be seen and discussed. Finally, by consistently hosting discussions, fostering a critical podcast, and launching a film essay magazine like Hayasi, the space actively incubates and supports local film criticism, ensuring that cinema is not just consumed but thoughtfully engaged with and debated.

How do you situate Videobet within the broader cultural landscape? Do you collaborate with other initiatives in the region?

We are establishing significant African collaborations, securing agreements with distributors and seeking partnerships with African filmmakers to showcase their work and solidify Videobet as a dynamic film hub. We are also pursuing collaborations with East African cinemas to foster regional cinematic exchange. This regional focus is designed to foster cinematic exchange, cross-pollinate content and talent, and build a cohesive East African film ecosystem. These integrated efforts are foundational to Videobet’s vision of becoming a leader in African film exhibition.

In what ways do you think Videobet functions as a cinema of commoning?

Videobet functions as a cinema of commoning by actively transforming itself into an important space for artistic and social endeavors. Our curated programming, which includes rarely accessible restored African films and challenging international cinema, alongside our other initiatives, creates a sanctuary for public discourse and critical engagement, ensuring that valuable cinematic works are preserved, shared, and debated by a diverse community of cinephiles and filmmakers.

Beza Hailu Lemma is an Addis Ababa-based writer, director, and curator. He is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Videobet, a cinema space and film center in Addis. His filmography includes both documentary and fiction short films, such as Ballad of the Spirits (2016), Katanga Nation (2022), and Alazar (2024). These works have garnered international recognition, screening at prestigious film festivals globally, including Cannes, TIFF, Clermont Ferrand, IDFA and Fespaco.