New Chairman for the International Film Festival Braunschweig

The Braunschweig Inernational Film Festival has a new chairman. Thorsten Rinke succeeds Edgar Merkel, who chaired the festival for 25 years.

What was originally intended to be a means of relaxation from his main job as headmaster quickly turned out to be a regular side job, as the festival grew and with it the tasks of the chairman. His retirement with 65 was planned for a long time. After his farewell from teaching, consequently, now his farewell from the association’s board follows. He admittedly looks forward to curating film sections, but will still be on hand with help and advice for the new chairman.

The new face of the film festival is Thorsten Rinke. The 51-year-old is from Kassel where he got infected with the cinema-virus early on. Star Wars, James Bond and Italian-Western are a few of his early screen favourites. Through evening classes he chaught up on his A-levels, studied engineering and moved to Braunschweig in 1998. In the same year he became a member of the film festival association. Since 2006 he is in charge of the section “New German Films” and since 2013 he is also a member of the chair of directors.

Besides cinema there is another passion of the new film festival chairman. Since 1998 he is an avowing supporter of Eintracht Braunschweig – an ideal preparation for the new post: “If there is a place where tradition and excitement conjoin, it is here.”

The other chair members are:
- Florence Houdin (2. chairman),
- Rayk Fenske (treasurer),
- Beate Neigenfind (secretary),
- Bianca Apmann (observer),
- Clemens Williges (observer).