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NRW honors cinemas: 1 million euros for creative film projects!
On November 5th, 2025, the NRW Cinema Program Prize was awarded in Cologne to honor outstanding cinema programs in North Rhine-Westphalia.
NRW honors cinemas: 1 million euros for creative film projects!
On November 5, 2025, in the atmospheric backdrop of Cologne's Wolkenburg, the cinema program awards were presented for the 35th time by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. This award honors the outstanding programs of cinema operators in North Rhine-Westphalia, in particular for their committed presentation of German and European productions as well as valuable children's and youth films. Walid Nakschbandi, Managing Director of the Film Foundation, welcomed the invited guests and emphasized the importance of this event.
Media Minister Nathanael Liminski insisted on giving a welcoming speech and emphasizing the importance of cinemas for culture and community coexistence. The award ceremony also attracted numerous prominent guests, including Malick Bauer, Rainer Bock, Moritz Führmann, Julius Weckauf, Greta-Marie Becker and Sven Unterwaldt, who supported the event as sponsors.
Prize winners and awards
The top prizes for outstanding achievements were awarded in various categories. The festive gala honored the following cinemas:
- Bambi & Löwenherz Gütersloh
- Lichtspiele Köln-Kalk
- Cinema & Kurbelkiste Münster
- Schloßtheater Münster
- Kino in der Brotfabrik Bonn
In addition, the ZOOM Kino Brühl received both a program bonus of 20,000 euros and a children and youth bonus of 3,000 euros. Other cinemas, including the Bambi Filmstudio Düsseldorf, Kamera Bielefeld, Casablanca Bochum, Filmstudio Glückauf Essen, Filmpalette Köln and Filmhaus Köln, were also awarded a program bonus of 20,000 euros each.
A particularly warm moment was the awarding of the honorary prize to Michael Meyer, who was awarded 25,000 euros for his life's work and his commitment to cinema culture. The awards were presented by actors and directors whose presence added glamor to the event.
A look at the numbers
Since the introduction of the cinema program prize in 1991, a total of around 17.4 million euros have been awarded to cinema operators in North Rhine-Westphalia. This sum impressively shows how much support for cinema culture is anchored in the country and how important it is to promote these valuable places of cultural exchange.
Photos of the award-winning cinemas are on kinoprogrammpreisnrw.de available. The award ceremony is not only an appreciation of the cinemas, but also a sign of the continued relevance of film as an art form and medium in our society.