Pop-Up Theater
Many years ago, there was a shoemaker named Josef Guggenberger. He had grown up in Carinthia, but then fell in love with Zell am See and just stayed here. Quickly, Josef became a popular and respected citizen of the city. He made beautiful and sturdy shoes. Josef, however, had a special passion for culture and technology. And he loved the movies. But going to Salzburg to watch a movie was not an option. And he did not want to leave the beautiful Zell am See either. He had found his new home here and wanted to stay. And so Josef Guggenberger did what people in the countryside do when they find that there is something missing for their happiness: they just do it themselves! He rented a large space in a turn-of-the-century building in the city center, bought a film projector and started to show movies. It was a complete success!
The so-called “Cobbler’s Theater” went well. In fact, it went so well that Josef, in 1938, bought the dilapidated former city theater and transformed it into a cinema. Into a huge cinema, with a with over 300 seats. Then, in 1952, Josef unexpectedly passed away. Josef had a 22-year old daughter named Anny. She was a bright and energetic young woman. And Anny decided to run the cinema. And how she ran it! Under her management, the theatre blossomed. And soon after big cinema discovered the area around Zell am See: many films were produced in the region, including “The Song of Kaprun” with Waltraud Haas and Joachim Fuchsberger, “Agents Die Lonely” with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood and the comedy “Allotria in Zell am See” with Harald Juhnke, Beppo Brem, and Hannelore Elsner. The movie theatre of Zell am See – then the largest cinema in the state of Salzburg – became the place for world premieres. And “Madame Kino”, as the locals respectfully called Anny Mayer-Schönberger, was the center of it. For many decades, she ran the Lichtspiele Zell am See with passion and drive. Today, the venerable doors of “Lichtspiele Zell am See” are closed, but we will always remember the very first edition Film Fest Zell we held there. It was to be the farewell performance of one of the great traditional movie theaters in Salzburg.
Hence, we decided to create our own cinema, exclusively for Film Fest Zell. And at the very venue where the local cinema history started almost 100 years ago: in the “Cobbler’s Theater” in the heart of Zell am See. Right next to the town square and the parish church we re-create the cinematic spirit of the past. “Das Kino”, one of the most important places for cineastes in Western Austria supports us with projector, screen, sound system and their technical expertise. We, the organizers create the extensive program and a great atmosphere. Including fresh popcorn, fringes, and sports gum. And, of course, the most wonderful films from around the world.
Enjoy!
Your Marlene, Andreas & Johannes
Pop-Up Kino Zell am See
Bahnhofstrasse 1
5700 Zell am See
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