“On the recommendation of the cinema program award jury, I hereby honor the cinema Das Neue CAPITOL in Bad Berleburg for its outstanding children’s and youth film program 2024.” With these words, Wolfram Weimer, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, presented the award to the Berleburg cinema. Kai Winterhoff, director of the New CAPITOL, accepted the prize at the historic Schauburg cinema in Karlsruhe. The award for the New CAPITOL is endowed with 2,500 euros.
“The children’s and youth program has a special importance at the New CAPITOL because we also see our cinema as having an educational mission,” emphasized Kai Winterhoff. The children’s cinema program offers a high-quality selection of films at strongly reduced ticket prices. Most films are shown only twice. To offset distribution costs, Winterhoff collaborates with other cinemas. “We are very pleased that our commitment at the New CAPITOL is receiving recognition beyond the region,” he added.
At the award ceremony in Karlsruhe, 238 cinemas from across Germany were honored, out of 301 applicants. A total of 1.8 million euros in prize money was distributed. “All of today’s award winners share a passion for cinema in their local communities. Their belief in the power of film art and the unique magic of the cinema experience keeps German and European film culture alive – day after day, screening after screening,” said Wolfram Weimer in his laudatory speech.