Pedal Cinema: A Movie Experience Powered by Human Energy
- 13.07.2026
- Practical Project
The sustainable Pedal Cinema combines a movie night with an interactive experience: audience members pedal to generate the energy that keeps the projector running. The shared effort creates an immediate, tangible sense of participation and makes the event a powerful statement about sustainability and community.
In early June 2026, visitors at the Pedal Cinema generated the electricity for the film screenings themselves. In the afternoon, students from two elementary schools gained insights into electricity generation and distribution through the film Austria’s Energy Supply. In the evening, the movie Encanto created a cozy atmosphere in the main hall.
Pedal power instead of a wall outlet: At the Pedal Cinema event on June 3, 2026, in Kufstein, visitors generated the electricity for the film screenings themselves. In the afternoon, students from the Zell and Sparchen elementary schools used the film Austria’s Energy Supply as an opportunity to learn in a clear and practical way where electricity comes from, how it is distributed, and what role renewable energy plays in the process. In this way, the topic of energy was not only explained, but also directly connected to the students’ own experience at the Pedal Cinema.
Rainy weather made an open-air setting impossible, so the event had to be moved indoors. Instead of pedaling under the open sky, participants continued in the main hall. In the evening, Disney’s animated film Encanto was shown successfully in a cozy atmosphere.
The project team of the Sports, Culture & Event Management degree program.
Students from the Sports, Culture & Event Management degree program at FH Kufstein Tirol – University of Applied Sciences organized the event as part of a hands-on project. It was carried out in cooperation with the association Cubic – Cultur & Bildung im Context. The clear focus was on sustainability, physical activity, and community.
Energy Education for Children in Cooperation with KUUSK
The program for students from Zell Elementary School and Sparchen Elementary School began at 2:00 p.m. The children watched several parts of the series Austria’s Energy Supply, giving them an age-appropriate introduction to the topics of electricity generation and energy consumption. In cooperation with the regional management organization KUUSK, the intended educational mission was successfully fulfilled. At the same time, the children were able to take an active role by generating electricity themselves on the bicycles. As a reward for their efforts, the young participants received ice cream.
Sustainability and Regional Products in Focus
The public screening of Disney’s Encanto began at 8:00 p.m. Four bicycles were available to generate the energy needed for the evening. Different groups pedaled for 15 minutes each, producing enough electricity to charge the battery that powered the film equipment during the screening. The concept made sustainable energy generation tangible and demonstrated in a vivid way how much energy can already be produced through physical activity.
Despite having to move the screening to the main hall because of the weather, the audience at the evening showing is still enjoying the cozy atmosphere.
In addition, the refreshments focused on regional and organic products such as organic popcorn, organic ice cream, and regional beverages in order to support a resource-conscious approach and promote mindful energy use.
An Evening for Everyone
The Pedal Cinema was aimed at a broad audience—from students and families to members of the general public. Admission was free. Registration was not required, but was appreciated by the project team for planning purposes. With Encanto, the organizers deliberately chose a family-friendly film that appealed equally to children, teenagers, and adults. Whether active or relaxed, everyone was invited to enjoy the evening in a pleasant atmosphere.
A Successful Hands-On Project
The Pedal Cinema showed how sustainability and entertainment can be successfully combined. The combination of energy education, active electricity generation, and a shared movie experience made the event a great success. At the same time, the hands-on project gave students the opportunity to gain valuable experience in event organization, project management, and sustainable event planning.
“Even though the rain tried to throw a wrench in our plans, we were fortunately able to move to the main hall and still carry out our project. The ice cream and popcorn were a hit, and I’m very happy that we were able to share this cozy evening with so many people. It was also a pleasure to tell the children that afternoon about electricity generation in Austria,” says Lillian Krautgartner, project manager of the hands-on project.
Links:
- Pedal Cinema | Instagram