The Capitol and Palatin cinemas have been closed for three months, but things are now moving. As the city reports, the Capitol property has been leased for 10 years and is now looking for an operator – It won’t be easy…
Last year, the city council commissioned the administration to develop a solution to preserve the arthouse cinemas. Now that the relevant resolutions have been passed by the committees and the Capitol cinema has been rented by the city of Mainz since November 1st, the cultural department opened and published the expression of interest process for interim operations in the Capitol on January 31st.
At a press conference, Marianne Grosse, head of the building and cultural department, together with the cinema experts commissioned by the city, Dr. Morticia Zschiesche and Michael Schwarz (documentary filmmaker) presented the basic principles of the process. Interested cinema operators, companies or initiatives can apply with a concept for interim operation in the Capitol by Friday, March 15 (12 p.m.).
Within the program, the focus should be on an offer that is not inferior to the tradition of the Capitol among the last operators and should maintain the core audience through the greatest possible range and diversity. The focus should be on arthouse films, blockbusters in their original version, as well as German and European productions. In addition, children’s and youth cinema work and offers for all parts of society should become part of the program structure, as well as cooperation with institutions, initiatives and associations in Mainz and local festivals.
“I am very pleased that we can now take the next step on the way to preserving the arthouse cinemas and the final step towards interim operation in the Capitol,” says building and culture department head Grosse. “Right from the start, it was important to us to maintain the wide range of cinema offerings and the tried and tested cinema structures in Mainz. In order to ensure this in the long term, the detailed and complex planning of the next steps was quite lengthy, but absolutely necessary.”
An award jury will decide on the submitted applications after the submission phase has ended. Chaired by Grosse, head of the building and culture department, this includes members of the parliamentary groups represented in the city council’s culture committee, as well as external film and cinema experts:
- Nadine Gehm, filmmaker and project manager of the Film and Media Forum RLP,
- Hanna Reifgerst, head of the office of the German Children’s Film Support Association V. and curator of the youth film competition German Children’s Media Festival Goldener Spatz,
- Ursula Simgen-Buch, co-operator of the arthouse cinemas Union-Studio für Filmkunst in Kaiserslautern and Province Arthouse Cinema in Enkenbach,
- Joachim Kurz, founder and editor of “Kino-Zeit” and board member of the Federal Association of Municipal Film Work, as well as •
- Dr. Morticia Zschiesche (cinema expert commissioned by the state capital Mainz last year) and
- Michael Schwarz (documentary filmmaker).
Dr. Zschiesche and Michael Schwarz emphasized their joy about the results so far and the publication of the procedure. “In my opinion, the public tender for the interim use of the Capitol Cinema is the right step so that the art house cinema can continue to develop in this attractive hall until the new building is built in the Hintere Bleiche and – very important! – will not be forgotten,” says Zschiesche. In addition, the interim use may also offer the future cinema operators of the association of arthouse cinema locations the opportunity to test their program concept.
Michael Schwarz adds: “In a state capital that offers excellent training and study opportunities in various media segments, it is essential to present current arthouse cinema on the big screen in addition to multiplex and community cinema. The interim operation advertised today for the city’s oldest cinema is of utmost importance, as it is important to continue to sustainably anchor a diverse cinema culture and, in particular, as many cinema releases of current art house films as possible in Mainz and also to continue to bind the existing regular audience to the city .”
The city wants to report on the results of the expression of interest process as soon as the jury has made a decision.
Background/Comment
Last year, the city rented the “Capitol” on Neubrunnenstrasse to enable the preservation of Mainz’s arthouse cinemas after investor Fischer+Co acquired the Palatin building and wanted to tear it down and build a new one. After a lot of back and forth (there is various information on these pages), the Capitol’s existing equipment, including cinema technology, was recently acquired so that the cinema could be handed over to new hands ready for use. This process was completed with the final committee decisions in January 2024 and the expression of interest process for interim operations in the Capitol was published.
The future intended Combined operation the arthouse cinemas at the Capitol and Hintere Bleiche 6-8 locations are covered by this expression of interest process not affected and will be advertised separately at a later date if the rental or acquisition of the new cinema at Hinteren Bleiche 6-8 should also be decided by the responsible municipal committees.
However, in addition to many questions, there is the big question of financing: How can an operator run just one (Capitol) cinema and do so economically until the other cinemas are built? Creative solutions and constructs are required here. The bar is also set quite high for young applicants; numerous requirements are required. Then the question still remains open as to whether the new Palatin cinemas with 3 screens will be acquired or rented by Fischer+Co, as well as the large construction site on Ludwigsstrasse, where the new municipal cinema is to be built, which is currently located in the Cine Mayence on Schillerplatz. The selection of applicants will show the way forward. 6 weeks’ notice isn’t much, it’s not unlikely that the Capitol cinema will open in early summer…
2024-02-01 14:38:06
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