Germany

[DE] New Developments in Cinema Digitisation

IRIS 2010-9:1/21

Anne Yliniva-Hoffmann

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

At the end of August 2010, the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein film support office - FFHSH) launched a special programme for the promotion of cinema digitisation.

Help is available for commercial art cinemas in Hamburg with a maximum of six screens and a high-quality film programme, which can apply for support for the refitting of up to three screens per calendar year. The funds can be used to purchase and install the necessary equipment and projection technology and take the form of an investment subsidy of up to 25% of the costs, with an upper limit of EUR 18,000 per screen. The funds are provided as a de minimis amount and may be granted in addition to other forms of public aid, such as subsidies from the Filmförderungsanstalt (Film Support Office). This support programme will run until 2014.

Also at the end of August 2010, the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media - BKM) and the Verband der Filmverleiher (Association of Film Distributors - VdF) reached an agreement on the involvement of the film distribution industry in the financing of cinema digitisation. Under this agreement, film distributors will also support so-called Kriterienkinos (criteria cinemas) with their technical refitting, such as through direct financial subsidies for the purchase of the necessary technical equipment.