Cinemas are in the red – salzburg.ORF.at
Culture
Salzburg cinemas are stuck in an economic crisis. The situation has hardly improved since the economically disastrous CoV lockdowns, operators say. One writes red numbers – because of delays in the start of new films and the soccer World Cup, which disrupts business before Christmas.
This year’s offer is exhausting and sluggish for the film culture center “Das Kino” located in downtown Salzburg. It already started in December of the previous year – with a 90 percent drop in sales, says managing director Renate Wurm: “You have to know that the winter months are extremely important for the cinemas. That didn’t get along well with Corona. I was worried that this would recover temporarily.”
Turnaround with two domestic films
The decline in visitor numbers in the art house cinema, which is subsidized by the public sector, continued until July. With two Austrian films, one finally felt more tailwind again, according to Wurm. The World Cup is currently felt as competition, says the manager: “These are also the Christmas parties and the Christmas market, which hasn’t existed for two years.”
Commercial operator has mixed feelings
In the commercially run Salzburg Cineplexx large cinema in Wals (Flachgau), the man is satisfied with what is going on, says managing director Franz Ach: “We are at a minus of 25 percent across Austria compared to 2009. Of course we are also noticing the football World Cup. In addition, there are many film starts that have been postponed to 2023 – because you didn’t know how lockdowns would continue.”
Films that really make the box office ring are all the more important. That should be possible from mid-December, so oh: “The very best start will be Avatar. Then there is the robber Hotzenplotz, who will definitely bring many visitors to us.”
For 2023, the Cinplexx is expecting a “brilliant tax” – with many blockbusters. The audience at “DAS KINO” is also great.