The AG Kino - Gilde calls on the Bundestag to take the Future Cinema Programme into account in the 2025 budget deliberations. The association emphasises that investment funding is essential to safeguard the diversity of the German cinema landscape and to successfully implement the film reform.

Christian Bräuer, Chairman of the AG Kino - Gilde, explains: "The best films are useless if they don't reach their audience." Arthouse cinemas in particular are crucial for the visibility of artistic-creative and European films and for local cultural audience development.

In addition to the existing cinema programme premium, the future cinema programme is needed as a second pillar. The association estimates that 25 million euros are needed for investments in digitalisation, technology and sustainability, but at least 15 million euros. Experience from the 2000s has shown that a lack of funding led to the closure of many cinemas.

Bräuer also emphasises the social importance of cinemas: They offer orientation in the flood of audiovisual content, ensure visibility for artistic and creative films and are one of the few remaining common cultural spaces in times of growing polarisation and isolation.

Since 2020, the Future Cinema Programme has stabilised the cinema landscape, but the need for investment remains high: according to the FFA, the annual requirements exceed 100 million euros, and funding is often exhausted within a few seconds.

The AG Kino - Gilde represents around 370 arthouse cinemas with over 800 screens and is committed to cultural diversity and the promotion of European and German films.