Gen Z returns as Carinthia cinemas report strong summer

Carinthia’s cinemas had a successful summer, with blockbuster films and a return of younger audiences easing concerns about the industry, ORF reported. More than 150,000 people are estimated to have attended cinemas in the province, according to Christof Papousek, spokesperson for Carinthia’s cinema operators at the Austrian Economic Chamber.

Films including Spider-Man and The Odyssey helped Hollywood record its strongest cinema summer since the pandemic. The trend also extended to art-house cinemas in Carinthia, where operators reported strong interest beyond major blockbusters.

Robert Schabus, a filmmaker who became the operator of Klagenfurt’s art-house Volkskino cinema this year, said audiences were seeking social encounters and the shared experience of watching and discussing films together.

The Volkskino, which turns 100 this year, reopened under Schabus in April after renovations. When it opened on May 1, about 20 people stood outside and applauded, he said. The film Ingeborg Bachmann: Journey into the Desert, directed by Margarethe von Trotta, sold out every day for two weeks in late June and early July, despite the summer heat.

The cinema will mark its centenary on October 15 with Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin, the film with which it opened in 1926, accompanied by live music. Almost 10,000 people also visited the Burghofkino, which is operated by the Volkskino, during the summer.

In Villach, preparations are under way for the K3 Film Festival, the only film festival in Carinthia. The festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Stadtkino from December 2 to 6. Festival director and Filmstudio operator Fritz Hock said it would continue to showcase local filmmaking, including work from Slovenia and Italy.

Hock said the return of Generation Z was particularly encouraging. Rather than competing with streaming services, he said, they had helped build a stronger appetite for good films and brought young people back to cinemas.

Carinthia’s cinemas will join the Cinema Festival on Saturday, September 12, with tickets priced at 5.90 euros. Popcorn will cost extra.