The Cadmus Cineplex cinema in the TQ Plaza complex closed two years ago, and even today there is no indication that it will reopen.
The company "Lovćen Film", which was given the management of the cinema through a private-public partnership for a period of 20 years with subsidies of 199.000 euros per project, claims that they offered the Municipality of Budva several models, but that it remained silent.
The controversial Cadmus Cineplex cinema project, located in the municipal area of TQ Beach, has been a constant subject of accusations and numerous court cases since the arrival of new political parties and the fall of DPS.
Administration of the former Mayor Dragan Krapović claimed that the project was the product of major corruption and that the Municipality and citizens were harmed in the deal, while Lovćen Film claims that the Municipality could not have obtained a better project and that they are ready to resolve all disputes either in court or peacefully, but that the cinema should continue to operate. With the arrival of the President Milo Božović The cinema was closed and new disputes were entered into that could cost the Municipality millions of euros if they end in favor of Lovćen Film.
In February 2023, Lovćen Film closed its cinema after eight years. However, a solution was reached only a month after the cinema closed, when the two parties reached an agreement after a series of meetings, and the Mayor of the Municipality, Božović, agreed to sign a new contract and reduce the Municipality's obligations. In the end, no agreement was reached because Božović was arrested in mid-April 2023 and is still in Spuž on charges of drug trafficking.
"We are the party that keeps the agreement and we have not broken our word. Both then and today we are ready to honor what we agreed with the representatives of the Municipality of Budva and their legal representatives," they claim in Lovćen Film.
"However," they continue, "the sophisticated cinema equipment is deteriorating day by day, and citizens are deprived of the content that every normal city must have. This is damage that, if this situation continues, the Municipality will have to pay again due to negligence that is obvious and to which, unfortunately, there is no end in sight."
From the Lovćen film, they conclude that they see the biggest problem in the fact that the city is run by people who have no problem agreeing on something today, and then not honoring that agreement tomorrow.
"The simple calculation that has been present in Montenegro for decades is that they will not pay for the enormous damage from their own pockets due to the collapse of the cinema project and the space built by the Municipality. Unfortunately, all we can do is hope that someone will finally come along who will respect what the Municipality itself offered and we accepted, despite the large reductions and reductions in our rights," the company concludes.
The two parties, while Božović was at large, had agreed to conclude all disputes they had. It was agreed that, except for one dispute, each party would bear the court costs, Lovćen film waived any future litigation against the Municipality, returned all business premises, terraces in TQ Plaza that were not put into operation to the Municipality, which it would use in the future. This agreement also accepted the Municipality's request to discount prices for children and young people at certain times, especially on weekends, and introduce a greater number of free screenings. The Municipality insisted that during working days, there be designated times when ticket prices for film screenings would be 20 to 30 percent lower, which was accepted by Lovćen film. The Municipality's request to coordinate the socially beneficial programs for citizens with the Secretariat for Social Affairs was also accepted, so that they could make certain suggestions. The increase in the subsidy linked to the increase in salaries was abolished, and a more favorable model was agreed upon.
When no agreement was reached, the lock was put on and 15 workers were sent to the bureau.
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