St. Polten: 20 years of Cinema Paradiso

20 years of Cinema Paradiso! 1.25 million visitors counted, and above all, many great moments – with over 5,500 films and over 2,000 live events.

Street. Bolten. Best Cinema in Europe Award, expansion with a cinema and a third event hall – only two milestones in a success story that began in 1994 at Film am Dom. Together with partners from the economy, as well as thanks to the support of the sponsors of Lower Austria, the City of St. Polten, BMKOES and Europa Cinemas, the aim is to give people a good time with a diverse, high-quality range of cinema and culture and to contribute to the capital of the lively urban state.

This is a celebration

In the fall, Cinema Paradiso celebrates with its audience and special live events. First and foremost, world class acoustic guitarist Alde Mola. The world star has his new album with him, and in the trio, he brilliantly interprets the songs of the Beatles.
Clemens Kubitsky and Alexander Silaba, directors of Cinema Paradiso, are pleased: “It all started with Cinema Paradiso in the city.” Yes, when the doors of Cinema Paradiso opened 20 years ago, the city looked different, and the town hall square was somewhat empty. “Few were those who believed in their project at that time.

“Why should this work here? But it worked. And how! Over 35,000 visitors in the first year were a sensation.”

, rejoice. Soon the number rose and today is 75,000 per year. What started as an association for film buffs and Film am Dom is now a cultural institution in the heart of Lower Austria attracting attention across Europe with its unique blend of cinema, live events and a fine pub.

Young and old meet in our Paradiso cinema, international stars take turns with Austrian personalities and local forces on our stands,

Emphasis on managers. They offer film, literature and music lovers a home and an opportunity for exchange. “We have a place for all that is good and their heart is in the right place. The fact that our cinema is used by many schools as a place of education and that we can regularly realize unique projects with many partners from the city is a fact of particular pleasure,” she highlighted. And when people from Vienna come to our concerts “because it is so easy with you”, it is a great honor.

“Thank you so much to our audience for their loyalty. We want to further promote the civilization of St. Polten, be a part of the vibrant city center and give our visitors a great time at Cinema Paradiso. This is what we are excited about in the next 20 years.”

Matthias Stadler, Mayor of the provincial capital St. Pölten, is pleased with the success: “It has always been an integral part of St. Pölten without Cinema Paradiso in the heart of the provincial capital. For two decades there has been a diverse program for all interest groups – also apart from indoor and outdoor cinema. From live concerts and football broadcasts to comic book cinema and a special program for children, there is something for everyone here. We are excited to support the program’s cinema in the future and look forward to at least 20 more wonderful and cinematic years.”

Milestones

Milestones of the past 20 years: 2002 – Cinema Paradiso opens. 2006 – Best Cinema in Europe Award 2006 (out of 479 cinemas from 264 cities); 2011 – the opening of the multifunctional cinema hall 3 and the event hall Club 3; 2012 – digitization of all cinema halls; 2013 – the opening of the Cinema Paradiso Baden; 2017 – Founding of the VOD Club for Cinema

It all started in 1994 with the movie Am Dom. At that time, 10,000 people flocked to the cathedral square to watch the films of the House of European Art. Cinema Paradiso continues to make a great contribution to the cinema culture of Lower Austria with its many open-air cinemas. Existing open-air cinemas include: an open-air cinema on Rathausplatz St. Pölten, an open-air cinema at Theaterplatz Baden and an open-air cinema Neuulengbach.

Highlights 20 years

Just like the audience, the artists appreciate the casual atmosphere of Cinema Paradiso and the proximity to the audience. Who’s Who has been in the Austrian film scene at Cinema Paradiso for more than 150 Austrian and Lower Austrian premieres in the past 20 years, for example: Karl Markovics, Josef Hader, Ursula Strauss, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Roland Düringer, Erni Mangold, Hilda Dallek and Alfridi Ott and many others. Stars from Germany were also impressed at the premieres of Cinema Paradiso and its concept “More than cinema”, for example, Moritz Bleptro, David Strizzo, Sven Regner or Linder Hausmann.
National and international stars provided readings, concerts and DJ lines. Young hipsters as well as established artists. Short excerpt: Ken Springfellow (REM), Dominic Miller (Sting), Harry Roult, Sammy Deluxe, Andre Heller, Giant Sand, Lampcoop, Steaming Satellite, Rakidi, Moop Mama, Chantelle & Bukovina Club Orchestra, Take & Patty, Boban Markovic Orkestar, Belly sound. More more too!

live events

At Cinema Paradiso, autumn is all about the wonderful live events that we want to celebrate with the audience:

Vanveer Ciocarlia
The best Balkan wind band in the world is also celebrating its birthday and touring the world for the last time. Off-road, through rolling hills somewhere in the northeastern hinterland of Romania – where the small village of Zece Prajini is located and 25 years ago 12 musicians came together to conquer the world. Fanfare Ciocarlia exudes boundless energy and vitality with unprecedented pressure waves of topas, trumpets, trumpets, and saxophones.
10/11/22 at 8:30 p.m.

my demeanor
He is an international star and one of the best acoustic guitarists of all time. The live album “Friday Nights in San Francisco” with Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin is the most successful and “most influential of all acoustic guitar albums” of all time. Al de Meola is considered a guitar legend and “the fastest guitarist”. Al Di Meola fuses rock, jazz, Latin and world music. He has received several Grammy Awards over the past forty years and has sold four gold albums, two platinum albums and more than six million records worldwide. With us he presents his latest album “Across the Universe” with 14 new Beatles songs.
11/15/22 at 8 pm

CAMO & KROOKED FEAT DAXTA MC
It is among the largest and most innovative drum and bass business in the world. Reinhard Camus Rich and Marcus Crooked Wagner take a tour from New Zealand to Japan, from Dubai to Buenos Aires and make the biggest floors on the planet glow. You’ll never get as close to electronic music stars as you can at Club 3. Daxta MC will accompany your DJ set right on the mic. Dance all night long!
Support: DAVIDCKS & DRUMS + DJ JOYCE MUNIZ
On 19.11.22 from 9 pm

Christian Bruckner
the sound! Everyone knows his voice. Christian Bruckner has been nicknamed Robert De Niro for decades. But also Peter Fonda, Harvey Keitel, Burt Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Robert Redford, Dennis Hopper, Gerard Depardieu and many more. Martin Scorsese personally chose him to express “Taxi Driver”. Bruckner is himself a theater actor. His audiobooks are bestsellers in the German-speaking world. Immerse yourself in an unforgettable sound, immerse yourself in a reading that you will never experience again. Christian Bruckner presents his show “I’m Too Light to Sleep” with poems by the great romantic poets.
23/11/22 at 8 pm

Michael Ostrovsky
Austrian audience favorite Michael Ostrovsky returns to Cinema Paradiso! But this time not on the big screen, but he can be admired live on the big stage: with his first novel “Der Onkel”. The hit cinema of the same name has already dazzled audiences in the summer. But Michael Ostrovsky doesn’t just read. He is supported by a guitarist, and Ostrovsky is himself a passionate musician. Together they create a crazy evening between reading and music.
11/16/22 at 8 pm