Retrospective: Football Cine Cup '25

The first-ever “Football Cine Cup” film series made optimal use of the football-free winter break to get in the mood for the upcoming spring season. Vienna's oldest cinema – the Breitenseer Lichtspiele – was the ideal venue for the event.

The film series was organized by the "Freund*innen der Friedhofstribüne" and the Breitenseer Lichtspiele and cooperated with the Screenshot Football Film Festival and the fairplay initiative.

On four evenings between January 10 and 17, 2025, the cinema became the setting for all possible aspects of the beautiful game. Screenshot supported the organizers in conducting the film talks and discussion rounds.

The kick-off event was a screening of Jasmin Baumgartner's “Robin's Hood”. The film portrays the Viennese amateur football through a club with its committed president Robin and his team, who are repeatedly confronted with everyday racism.

At the Vienna premiere of “Stand your Ground” by Dominik Thaller, fairplay employee Nikola Staritz discussed the development and current challenges in women's football with the film team and Sportclub player Emma Pollinger.

After the film “Unser Fußball” by Marlene Mayer, the discussion revolved around the question of who owns football in times of the expansion of capitalist interests of the clubs? And what about the relationship between fans and their club?

The film series concluded with the Viennese premiere of “A guardia di una fede” by Andrea Zambelli. The film portrays the life of Atalanta Bergamo Ultra Claudio “Bocia” Galimberti. Bocia was the leader of the “Curva Nord” for many years before he was no longer allowed to participate due to the maelstrom of repression and after several trials. After the film, fairplay employee Michael Schmied discussed the phenomena of ultra culture and its historical development in Italy with Moritz Ablinger (editor-in-chief of ballesterer) and Thomas Lanz (formerly active at Ultras Rapid). In particular, the relationship between violence between football fans and the police was critically examined and brought to the film audience on the basis of historical events.

The almost 400 visitors to the film series once again highlighted the great interest in football films and discussions. A fact that also confirms the Screenshot team's chosen path and gives rise to anticipation for the next issue in the fall.