Last week, the 2022 Cinema Program and Distributor Awards were again presented in Berlin. The award was presented by Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, who, after the two-year pandemic break, emphasized how important it was to "preserve culturally sophisticated cinema, especially in times of crisis!" At the festive ceremony at Kino International, Roth honored 209 art-house cinemas for their dedicated previous year's programming. In total, the Minister of State presented prize money amounting to 1.8 million euros.
One of the deserving winners in the "Best Annual Program" category was Frankfurt's Arthouse Kinos Cinéma & Eldorado. But the team of arthouse cinemas was also pleased to receive another award: the Harmonie cinema in Sachsenhausen received prize money of €15,000 as one of the five best arthouse cinemas in Germany. Congratulations!
Theater director Dimitrios Charistes was very pleased about this appreciation: "Art house cinemas are an indispensable cultural venue for democratic discourse in Germany and Europe. Regardless of the fact that films are allowed to entertain, it is precisely demanding dramas or explosive, political documentaries that lead to debate, to conversations, to a collective togetherness and experience. When people and like-minded people come together to laugh, cry and discuss, this leads directly to a social togetherness, which, especially in times of crisis, perhaps ensures a better understanding of one another. The common experience of feelings, topics and new worlds is essential or more clearly said "system relevant!", so Charistes.
The top prize for the best annual film program 2021 went this year with 20.000 euros to the Luna Filmtheater in Ludwigslust. 10,000 euros and thus the top prize for the best children's and youth film program went to the Casablanca Kino in Oldenburg. The top prize for the best short film program went to the Casablanca in Ochsenfurt. The best documentary film program in 2021 was offered by Lichtspiel in Bamberg. Both prizes are also endowed with 10,000 euros.
The 2022 Distributor Prizes for special achievements in the distribution of artistically outstanding films were awarded to Grandfilm GmBH, Farbfilm Verleih GmbH and Piffl Medien GmbH. The awards are linked to a premium of 75,000 euros each.
You can also find more info on the individual award winners HERE
