The 44th edition of the Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival ended on Sunday, January 29, 2023 and recorded around 38,272 visits (2020: approx. 45,500) during the festival week in the cinemas, the events of the MOP industry and the supporting program (including Lola’s Bistro ).
The number of cinema tickets issued was 28,045 (2020: 36,571) with an overall occupancy rate for the week of 72.8%. A total of 127 films ran in 225 performances on 15 screens in seven Saarland venues. 56 films in four competition categories competed for the 18 prizes awarded on Saturday with a total endowment of 118,500 euros. The streaming service is available on the festival website until Sunday, February 5th at 11:59 p.m. The 45th edition of the Max Ophüls Prize film festival will take place from January 22nd to 28th, 2024.
“After a challenging year, the eventful festival week and these numbers make us happy,” sums up festival director Svenja Böttger. “With an overwhelming atmosphere in the cinemas and a lot of positive feedback from the filmmakers and the viewers, we can confidently say that we have found our way back to the cinemas. The exuberance at the award ceremony, the film party and in Lola’s bistro also show “how much this exchange has been missing in recent years. We would like to once again call for sufficient support for young creative people so that we can continue to present their great works. We would like to thank the audience and filmmakers alike for supporting the festival week full of life and started a dialogue with each other. Go to the cinema – it’s worth it.”
“We are very proud that our first joint issue was a great success,” add the two program managers Theresa Winkler and Carolin Weidner. “The positive feedback from all guests and those involved, the encounters and discussions with the filmmakers have shown us once again how important it is to present cinematic works in front of an audience and what power film festivals and cinema in general can have.”
The occupancy rate of the cinemas this year was 72.8% with fewer programs compared to the 2020 festival edition (2020: 81.9%). In the last hybrid festival edition in 2022, the occupancy of the cinema halls was 32%.
734 tickets were issued for a total of nine screenings in the three “MOP uff de Schnerr” cinemas Thalia Lichtspiele Bous, Kinowerkstatt St. Ingbert and Capitol MovieWorld Saarlouis (2020 for twelve screenings: 753 tickets).
The seven competition films presented as part of “Kino macht Schule” were viewed by a total of 490 schoolchildren at the CineStar Saarbrücken and the Kinowerkstatt St. Ingbert.
On the opening night, 1,310 (2020: 1,173) visitors celebrated director Alex Schaad and his film “Aus meine Haut” at the CineStar Saarbrücken and in the three “MOP uff de Schnerr” cinemas. 1,728 guests brought the festival week to a close on Saturday at the award ceremony and the subsequent film party (2020: 2,013) at E-Werk Saarbrücken. The live transmission of the award ceremony on the festival website was broadcast a total of 3,215 times over the evening (2022: 1,743).
137 press representatives were among the 1,349 accredited. The industry program MOP-Industry, which was able to take place in person for the first time, reached over 1,300 (2020: 820) participants with its panels, workshops, network events and the master class with Sandra Hüller.
Lola’s bistro in the former restaurant in the GALERIA St. Johanner Markt attracted around 7,200 guests during the day as a festival café and with its evening events (2020: 6,330).
The MOP-Festivalfunk, the festival magazine of Saarland radio, took place for the first time in front of a live audience in Lola’s bistro. The individual talks are available in the ARD media library.
The six programs of the Blue Week, created in the run-up to the film festival, have so far had a total of 14,796 hits on the festival website and on Facebook (as of February 1st, 2023).
The streaming offer on the festival website runs until February 5 at 11:59 p.m. As of February 1, 2023, the number of film viewings was 11,500 (2022: 10,582). A film is counted immediately after it has been started.
Sponsors, patrons, supporters, festival sponsors: An overview of our financial and non-material partners of the 44th edition You will find here.
Those: www.ffmmop.de
