Cinema in Lilienthal wins award for outstanding film selection!

Cinema in Lilienthal wins award for outstanding film selection!

The Lilienthal Municipal Cinema has won a coveted award for its excellent film program in 2024. This cinema program prize, which was awarded on June 26, 2025 at the Thega Filmpalast in Hildesheim, is endowed with 1,250 euros and was awarded by Nordmedia, the film and media promotion company for the states of Lower Saxony and Bremen. Prominent faces such as Heiko Pinkowski, actor, and the managing director of Nordmedia, Meike Götz, were also present at the award ceremony. Frank Doods, State Secretary and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Nordmedia, was also part of the event.

A total of 65 commercial and non-commercial film theaters and venues from Lower Saxony and Bremen were honored. For the Lilienthal Municipal Cinema, this award is not only a confirmation of its excellent work, but also an incentive to further promote cinema culture. The association, which was founded in May 2023 by a group of 14 film enthusiasts, is committed to continuing the tradition of long-time cinema operator Wilfried Dally.

Commitment to cinema culture

The cinema regularly organizes film events in the Murkens Hof cultural center, where the members put together a wide range of cinema offerings. In 2024, the municipal cinema recorded a remarkable 3,342 spectators at a total of 50 film screenings. The cinema received particular praise not only for the quality of the film selection, but also for the many wonderful collaborations within the community, for example with the adult education center and the Lilienthal local history association. This creates a strong sense of community and attracts visitors, who often arrive 20 to 30 minutes before performances start to chat over a drink.

Thanks to the prizes and support, the association can continue to do its work. Last year he received 3,000 euros from the Stade Regional Association to improve the demonstration technology, plus 800 euros from the Volksbank. The cinema program prize will now help to continue the club's activities and further expand the offering. However, the cinema team is currently on summer break; the film screenings are scheduled to continue in September.

Collaboration and Initiatives

The Lilienthal Municipal Cinema not only operates alone, but also cooperates with the “Dorfkino” initiative, which takes over negotiations with film distributors. Such partnerships are crucial to creating a diverse program and remain very popular with cinephiles. In addition, the School Cinema Weeks will take place from March 5th to 19th in 2026, which will strengthen the media educational offering in cinemas in Lower Saxony. Lesson-related films are then shown in around 100 cinemas to promote the students' film and media skills. This project is supported by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture, the Lower Saxony State Media Authority and nordmedia.

The award from the Lilienthal Municipal Cinema clearly shows that it is worth supporting local cinema culture and film funding and that such initiatives can make a valuable contribution to the cultural life of the communities. So if you're looking for good films and a place for stimulating conversations, you shouldn't miss the screenings at Murkens Hof.