According to the President of the German Association of Districts, District Administrator Reinhard Sager, it is to be expected that the burden on municipalities due to the sharp rise in gas and electricity prices will lead to severe cuts in voluntary services such as the financing and promotion of culture and voluntary initiatives. Olaf Zimmermann, executive director of the German Cultural Council, states: „If we don’t counteract this, we’re heading for a wave of closures of cultural institutions in the fall and winter.“ The fact that this situation could become an existential threat to the film festival sector is demonstrated simply by the fact that many film festivals use movie theaters as their central venue, and that a large proportion of festivals are organized as non-profit associations on a voluntary basis.
Statement by Olaf Zimmermann in german here.
