Lumbardhi Foundation was established in 2015 after a civic initiative of 58 nonprofits and 8,000 citizens who saved Lumbardhi Cinema in Prizren from privatization and demolition by reclaiming it as a cultural heritage site.
The organization’s founding mission was to revive the former cinema as an independent cultural institution by preserving its heritage values, developing annual research, educational and cultural programs, stimulating artistic production, building institutional capacities and increasing civic participation in shaping cultural policies. Besides managing the site, its current activities include film screenings, performing arts programs, research, publishing and archiving.
Lumbardhi Cinema, consisting of an indoor hall and an open-air cinema, opened its doors in 1952 and enjoyed huge popularity in the city of Prizren in the second half of 20th century. Known as a site of festivals and main home of cultural life of Prizren round the year, the cinema is a cultural heritage asset under permanent protection, proposed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and approved by Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage.