Status: 25.08.2024 09:58 a.m.
Go to the cinema as often as you want for 20 euros a month: that’s what “Cineville” is now offering. This is the name of the new Germany-wide subscription for arthouse and repertory cinemas. Six cinemas in Hamburg are taking part.
It doesn’t always have to be star-studded cinema: no superheroes, but rather “Micha thinks big” with Charly Hübner or the even more exotic little film gem “What does the Lama want with the gun?”. Without having to look at the price of the cinema ticket every time, film fans can now take a risk. After all, there are many little film gems.
Abbot-Operator Felix Grassmann is one of the founding members of the subscription “Cineville“: “We expect this to be a big boost, which cinemas have been lacking a bit since the Corona period. We hope to have 5,000 to 10,000 subscribers by the end of the year.”
Cinema subscription “Cineville” as a model for the future
The subscription has been activated since Thursday. But most film fans have not heard of it yet: “It’s definitely interesting! I don’t know if I would do it, but I would do the math,” says one viewer. “I think it’s cheap. I’m already paying 20 euros if I go to the cinema twice,” says one viewer, and another believes: “I would go to the cinema more if there was something like a flat rate.”
The “Cineville” German headquarters is now located above the Abaton cinema on Allende Square. There are currently five cities involved. In Hamburg, in addition to the Abaton, the cinemas Alabama, 3001, Film room, Metropolis and Zeise In addition to the annual subscription, there are also shorter subscriptions that are a little more expensive. Then it is even possible to take a break, for example in the summer months. For Zeise boss Matthias Elwardt, also a founding member of “Cineville”, this is a model for the future: “The Zeise shows well over 300 films a year. We are a big treasure trove and we want to encourage visitors to go to the cinema more often with the very inexpensive subscription.”
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A conversation with Holger Ewald, who runs the Ritterhuder Lichtspiele arthouse cinema in the Osterholz district. more
Hope for audience growth through subscription model
The Studio Kino in Bernstorffstrasse, coral, Elbe and Blankeneser Kino are not yet involved. Nick Jansen wants to observe the development before he joins in with his cinemas. Because other subscription systems are currently being developed, he says: “With subscriptions, it would be important to reach not only those who go to the cinema regularly, but also those who no longer go to the cinema at all, and entice them to come back with a subscription model. The question is whether this is the promised effect.”
Behzad Safari runs the small Filmraum cinema on Müggenkampstrasse and, in the summer months, the open-air cinema in Eimsbüttel city park. He is hoping for a boost for his cinema: “For a small arthouse cinema like Filmraum, this is the be-all and end-all. It is the best thing that can happen to a small cinema that small films, small productions, small auteur films receive special attention,” he says. Who knows – perhaps “Cineville” will get some people off the sofa and back in front of the screen.
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3 Min
Cinema manager Matthias Elwardt has invited guests to enjoy pretzels, Zeisebier and a festive film program. 3 min
4 Min
The Abaton in the Grindelviertel was one of the first arthouse cinemas in Germany. Over the decades, the cinema has established itself as a permanent fixture in Hamburg’s cinema landscape. 4 Min
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NDR Culture | Hamburg Journal | 19.08.2024 | 19:00
