Overview
- The Astor-Film-Lounge ended its cooperation with the Jewish Film Days in Frankfurt and now frames the move as a business decision after weak audience numbers.
- Management says only 40 to 50 people attended two screenings in 2024 in a five-screen, roughly 400-seat theater, and it also pointed to staff anxiety tied to police security at past events.
- The Jewish Community of Frankfurt called the withdrawal a capitulation to antisemitic pressure and rejected the operator’s claim that a cinema can stay neutral on this issue.
- Astor denies any antisemitic motive, cites years of joint events with the community, and invites a meeting to resolve the dispute.
- Frankfurt’s culture office, led by Ina Hartwig, urges other sites to host the festival, which is scheduled for October 18 to November 1 across multiple venues.