At the end of August we handed back the keys to the CINEMAGIC Lab, our studio and event room in East Vancouver. Since then, artists, agents, collaborators and many of the people who danced in that room have asked us the same two questions: what happened, and what happens now. This is our answer.
What the Lab was
CINEMAGIC started as a lighting studio. We design, prototype and build immersive light installations: suspended geometry, programmed LED structures and rooms that move with the music. The Lab, which opened in early 2026, was where that work lived. By day it was a workshop. On selected nights it became the room where we could show what we build, with the sound, the light and the crowd all in the same space.
On those nights the Lab hosted our MOMENT series, alongside Halo, The Living Room and Local Frequency. It was a small room built with care, and artists travelled a long way to play it. Several of them told us afterwards it was one of the most personal rooms they had played anywhere. That meant more to us than we can easily put into words.
What happened
We chose to do this properly. A room like the Lab only has a future if it is safe and properly licensed, so we went to the City of Vancouver rather than around it. We were directed to the Arts and Culture Event Licence programme, which exists for exactly this kind of creative space. Vancouver Fire Rescue Services reviewed the room and set its capacity. Our events were approved and licensed, and we built our programme around the room.
Then, in the spring, licensing for the space was paused. No one had checked at the start whether the space could hold this licence long-term. We were referred from one office to the next, and each could answer part of the question. None of the steps left to take were ones a tenant could take. After months of looking for a way through, we closed and handed back the keys at the end of August.
Why it matters
This is the part worth sitting with. We came forward. We applied, we were inspected, we were licensed — and it still ended with a closed room.
When the only route to a yes is one a tenant cannot finish, a city does not get safer rooms. It gets fewer of the rooms that asked first.
This is not a story about anyone behaving badly. The people we dealt with at every stage were doing their jobs, and many were genuinely helpful. The gap is in the process, and it can be fixed: applicants should be told at the start whether a space can support the licence they are applying for, not months after they have built around it. We have shared that with the City, so the next independent space does not have to learn it the hard way.
We never stopped
Closing a room is not the same as closing a company. While the future of the Lab was uncertain, we moved our programme to partners who could host it properly, and the season carried on:
- CINEMAGIC OpenAir presents Collé, outdoors at 1201 Franklin Street in June.
- CINEMAGIC Camping Festival 2026 in July, our biggest production of the year.
- MOMENT Series: Nico Morano at the Alibi Room in Gastown on 8 August.
- MOMENT Series: AWEN at the Alibi Room on 5 September.
To every artist, agent and manager who stayed with us through a venue change, and to everyone who followed us to a new address: thank you. You trusted us when it would have been easier not to, and we don't take that lightly.
What comes next
The Lab is closed. CINEMAGIC is not. Here is where we are heading.
1. A new permanent home, done properly from day one
We are searching for a new space in Vancouver. This time every candidate is screened on zoning, permits and licensing before we look at anything else. We would rather take longer and open a room that lasts.
2. The MOMENT series continues
Until that room exists, MOMENT and our other series continue with licensed partner venues across the city. International bookings are open for the coming season. Artists, agents and managers can reach us directly at mohsen@cinemagicart.com.
3. The studio work goes on
Light installations were always the heart of CINEMAGIC. We continue to design and build custom installations for festivals, venues and productions, in Vancouver and beyond.
4. We want to build the next chapter with you
The people in the room made the Lab what it was, so we want them to help shape what comes next. We have opened a short survey asking what you want from a future CINEMAGIC space: the nights, the sound, the formats, the neighbourhood. It takes about two minutes.
Take the survey: help shape what comes next →
Follow CINEMAGIC on CTIX and on Instagram to hear what we build with your answers.
To everyone who came early, stayed until the lights came up, and looked after the room and each other: thank you. Every night at the Lab was yours as much as ours. We'll see you on the next dance floor.
— Mohsen Basiti
Founder, CINEMAGIC