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Berlin / Potsdam – For cinemas, times are gloomy due to the coronavirus. After a difficult cinema year in 2020, it is still unclear for film theatres when normal screenings will be able to resume. Medienboard remains loyal to the cinemas and is once again providing the record sum from 2020 for the Berlin-Brandenburg Cinema Programming Award this year: With 1.5 million euros, we are supporting the art-house cinemas of the capital region, which have been badly hit by the pandemic and the lockdown, so that cinema diversity can finally enrich the culture in our region again after the pandemic.

Kirsten Niehuus, Medienboard managing director:
“A life without cinema is possible ... but pointless! We’ve been missing the cinema for 129 days now = 3,096 hours straight, because that’s how long the cinemas have been closed since the last lockdown, and there’s still no exact end in sight! 1.5 million euros are intended to help the committed cinemas in our region in an uncomplicated and direct way to preserve the culturally unique diversity of cinemas. We would like to thank cinema programme makers for their perseverance and creativity during the compulsory break! Only cinema can do what cinema can do!”

Christian Berg, Medienboard cinema representative:
“An exhausting, wild and absolutely unusual cinematic 2020 is behind us, and an end to the pandemic and clear opening perspectives still seem a long way off. But we continue to stand by the cinemas! This year, we offer a completely simplified procedure. To have such a short year judged by a jury does not seem right to us.”

All cinemas in Berlin and Brandenburg that meet the application criteria will receive an immediate award of 5,000 euros in the first step. Afterwards, the winners from last year will receive exactly the same award as in 2020 for their excellent programming work – taking into account the immediate award.

The Cinema Programming Award ceremony will take place on 15 April 2021, online of course.