Cinemas are places for enjoying art, entertainment and cultural education. "At the same time, they are always places of encounter and exchange. A visit to the cinema turns a film into a shared experience," said Wendt, praising in particular the creativity of Schleswig-Holstein's cinemas, which always come up with something new to make a visit to the cinema attractive and unique.

The CEO of MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Helge Albers, congratulated: "Congratulations to the main prize winners from Flensburg, Lübeck and Ratzeburg for their outstanding cinema work. Eight other cinemas in Schleswig-Holstein were able to inspire us with their initiatives and programmes for more inclusion, more sustainability and more culture. All cinemas - even those that did not receive an award this time - have achieved great things over the past twelve months and inspired the people of Schleswig-Holstein in the cinema auditorium. A big thank you to all of them. Because cinema creates unforgettable experiences."

The 2024 Cinema Prize has a total budget of 50,000 euros. The jury met at the beginning of May. It consists of Martina Harand for the Ministry of Culture, Nicola Jones for MOIN Film Fund, Jens-Hagen Schwadt as coordinator of the "Dorfkino einfach machbar" initiative of Filmklub Güstrow, Polina Atvi as chairwoman of CineMova e.V., Ukrainian cinema club in Berlin, and Britta Wilkening-Barnsteiner from Barnsteiner Film, film distributor from Schleswig-Holstein.

A total of eleven prizes were awarded in five categories: The main prize "Cinema of Good Programming" was awarded to film theatres that have built up a particularly good customer base with special film series, accompanying programmes, documentaries or film production projects and arthouse films. Further prizes were awarded in the "Cinema as a cultural venue" category for special events within the venues and in the "Cinema of sustainability" category for innovative resource-saving concepts. In the "Cinema for All" category, prizes were awarded to cinema operators who have realised film offerings for different age groups, in other languages or special screenings for people with disabilities. Finally, the "Cinema of Good Ideas" category honoured cinemas that have enriched their programme with innovative ideas, for example with film studies expertise.

Category "Cinema of the good programme" - prize money 5,000 euros

• 51 Stufen Kino im Deutschen Haus in Flensburg

• Kino Koki - Kommunales Kino in Lübeck

• Burgtheater in Ratzeburg

Category "Cinema as a cultural venue" - prize money 3,500 euros

• Cinema in the small theatre in Bargteheide

• Burg Filmtheater in Burg auf Fehmarn

Category "Cinema of Sustainability" - prize money 3,500 euros

• Savoy - Kulturforum Altes Kino in Bordesholm

• Lichtblick Filmtheater in Heide

Category  "Cinema for All" - Prize money 3,500 euros

• Kino-Klub Pellworm e.V. in the Pellwormer Bürgerhus

• Capitol-Lichtspiele in Kappeln

Category "Cinema of good ideas" - prize money 3,500 euros

• Kinowelt Westerland in Westerland on Sylt

• Studio Filmtheater at Dreiecksplatz in Kiel