Do you love watching movies in the cozy darkness of a cinema? Then a visit to the movies is a must during your stay in Berlin.

There are several cinemas near EastSeven Hostel Berlin that offer more than just a movie program. We are happy to recommend the 5 best cinemas in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg.

Bildquelle: https://www.pexels.com/de-de/foto/musik-zimmer-raum-show-7991579/

 

Cinema in the Kulturbrauerei

The largest movie theater in Prenzlauer Berg is the Kino in der Kulturbrauerei. It has 8 auditoriums with a total of 1,587 seats. Due to its size, international films sometimes celebrate their premieres in this cinema.

The cinema program is always determined by the latest films from Hollywood, Germany and sometimes from other countries around the world. The cinema also shows classics of film history in the “Best of Cinema” series.

The cinema in the Kulturbrauerei is part of the nationwide CineStar cinema chain. It therefore also hosts events such as CineLady and CineMen. There is also an offer for children called “My first visit to the cinema”, where age-appropriate films are shown – with dimmed lights, reduced volume and no opening program.

The cinema is housed in the historic Kulturbrauerei building complex. It owes its name to the fact that the site was used as a brewery from the 1850s onwards. After the brewery ceased operations in 1967, the search was on for an alternative use for the buildings.

In 1991, it was decided that the complex should be used as a cultural center. Since 2000, the cinema has been part of the Kulturbrauerei, and there are also 2 theaters, a museum and a restaurant with an attached club on the premises.

Address: Schönhauser Allee 36

Website: Cinema in the Kulturbrauerei

Colosseum movie theater

One of the most popular cinemas in Prenzlauer Berg is the Colosseum. Its 3 movie theaters have a total of 826 seats. Hall 1 is the largest hall and can seat up to 525 people.

The weekly program consists of up to 12 films. These include current German and US films, but also works from other countries, independent productions and classics from the “Best of Cinema” series.

In addition, events such as concerts, comedy performances, readings and lectures are regularly held at the Colosseum.

The building in which the Colosseum is housed was built around 1892. Among other things, it was used by the horse-drawn railway company to house its horses. From 1924, it was used to show films.

After the Second World War, it briefly housed a military hospital and then a warming station. In 1992, the well-known film producer Artur Brauner bought the cinema.

After Brauner’s death in 2019, the Colosseum was threatened with closure. However, many residents of Prenzlauer Berg campaigned to keep the cinema open. In 2022, the Hamburg-based company Values Real Estate acquired the listed building and continues to operate it as a movie theater.

Address: Schönhauser Allee 123

Website: Colosseum

Bildquelle: https://colosseum.premiumkino.de/unser-haus/saele

Lichtblick Cinema

If you’re not in the mood for a blockbuster but would rather watch an offbeat movie, then the Lichtblick-Kino is your place to go in Prenzlauer Berg. The cinema program consists mainly of arthouse, documentary and short films as well as classics.

Sometimes the director of a film is present to answer questions from the audience. Lichtblick-Kino also holds retrospectives at irregular intervals. Several works by one director are shown over a certain period of time.

The Lichtblick-Kino has won the Cinema Program Prize of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media several times.

The cinema has only one auditorium, which is also very small at 50 square meters and 32 seats. This makes it the smallest movie theater in Berlin.

It is also housed in the oldest building in Prenzlauer Berg. It was built around 1852 as a residential building. After a squat in 1992, the building became self-managed.

In 1998, the Lichtblick cinema moved into the current premises, which previously housed a butcher’s shop. The tiles in the foyer are evidence of this.

The cinema was founded in 1994 as Stattkino Berlin e.V. and is still managed as a collective today. Many people who are involved in the cinema industry, for example as filmmakers or cinema operators, were and still are members of the collective.

Address: Kastanienallee 77

Website: Lichtblick-Kino

Bildquelle: Caterina Gil
https://lichtblick-kino.org/das-kino/

Filmtheater am Friedrichshain

The Filmtheater am Friedrichshain is also located in a historic building. It has been located in the immediate vicinity of Volkspark Friedrichshain since 1925.

The cinema has five auditoriums and seats up to 876 people. Hall 1 and Hall 2 are equipped with 4K laser projection. The cinema’s program includes a mix of current films and independent productions.

There are also specials such as sneak previews, where films are shown every Monday before they are released. The highlight is that as a visitor, you don’t know in advance which movie will be shown and are therefore surprised.

The building that houses the Filmtheater am Friedrichshain was already being used as a movie theater when it opened in 1925. It was then called the Olympia-Filmtheater and only had one auditorium for 1,200 visitors.

It also served as a cinema during the GDR era, but stood empty for several years after reunification. In 1995, director Michael Verhoeven acquired the building and teamed up with Yorck Kinos to renovate it. Among other things, the only auditorium was divided into 5 rooms.

Address: Bötzowstraße 1-5

Website: Filmtheater am Friedrichshain

Bildquelle: https://www.yorck.de/kinos/filmtheater-am-friedrichshain?sort=Popularity&date=2024-11-17&tab=daily&sessionsExpanded=false&film=gladiator-ii

Krokodil Cinema

Kino Krokodil offers an international program. It shows films from all over the world, but specializes in films from Central and Eastern Europe. So if you are interested in productions from Ukraine, Russia or Poland, then this is the right cinema for you.

In addition, the films are usually shown in OmU – i.e. in the original with German subtitles. What’s more, they are usually older films that offer an interesting insight into historical events.

The Krokodil cinema only has one auditorium with 12 rows and 84 seats. A cinema called Nord was built into the first floor of an existing residential building on the site back in 1912. However, operations were discontinued in the 1960s.

It reopened in 1993 and after two changes of ownership, it has borne its current name since 2004. When you enter the foyer, you should turn your head upwards for a moment. Because there really is a (blue) crocodile hanging from the ceiling.

Address: Greifenhagener Straße 32

Website: Kino Krokodil

A long and rich cinema culture in Berlin

Berlin can look back on a very long cinema history. The first cinemas were opened in the capital as early as the beginning of the 20th century. The Moviemento in Kreuzberg, for example, has been in operation since 1907, making it one of the oldest cinemas in the whole of Germany.

Thanks to the enormous variety, you have the choice between huge cinemas with thousands of seats and an impressive screen where you can watch the latest blockbusters, and smaller arthouse cinemas that show rather unknown productions in manageable auditoriums.

If you’re in Berlin and staying at EastSeven, we’ll be happy to give you more tips on which cinemas in Prenzlauer Berg and other parts of the city are worth a visit. And feel free to contact us in advance if you would like to find out more about the EastSeven. You can also check availability online.