Folkets Bio was initiated in 1973 with the purpose to screen swedish movies that didn't reach the existing commercial theaters. The founders wanted a forum to show films of their own, and movies produced outside of the U.S. According to Stefan Jarl, one of the founders, the organisation which came to be called Folkets Bio (The People's cinema), initially stood for antiimperialism, freedom of speech and a culture for the people. The initial aim was to create an alternative commercial movie theatre, where independent film-producers not only could show their movies, but also make a living of it...

Todays situation is a little bit different. Folkets Bio has two great resources: 1. Their ability to choose movies which their audience want to see, and 2. The cinema in itself. One of their most important goals is to maintian this situation.
As been more and more apparent is that selling tickets (or CDs) is no longer the most successful business model when people are used to get anything they want, anywhere, anytime. One of the most important aspects of the cinema was once to be the first to show the movies, and the only place. Since they no longer have that advantage over other media, it becomes more and more important to a) make a selection of the continuous flow of content and b) provide something that cannot be anything, anytime anywhere, i.e. a specific place with a strong presence.