"Too many notes, Majesty?" | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Thomas Hauerslev, Todd-AO Festival Film programmer | Date: 09.10.2025 |
 Welcome to the Todd-AO Festival at the Schauburg Cinerama. Incredible as it may seem, this is the 20th anniversary, and 18th edition, of the 70mm Film Festival. Surely this is one of the longest running festivals of its kind in Europe. In no small part, this is thanks to YOU - the audience - who continue to enjoy our truly genuine festival. The audience naturally travels here mostly from Germany, but international visitors from Japan, Australia, USA, and many European countries also continue to enjoy this weekend in Karlsruhe, with films on the curve, German beer, and the company of many 70mm film enthusiasts. "Too many notes, Majesty?" ... one of the brilliant lines from the 8-time Oscar winner “Amadeus” (1984). I am very pleased we are able to present this film on the Schauburg curve this year. A true masterpiece of film making. I once had the pleasure as a projectionist to show Miloš Forman's film for 17 months when it came out in Denmark. By the end of the run I knew every line of dialogue by heart, and I never grew tired of this film. We are able to show it in the original 70mm version with 6-track Dolby Stereo. The running time is nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes, but I assure you "There are just as many notes as required, neither more nor less". A silent celebration of 2025 is the 70th anniversary of the premiere of Todd-AO: the original format on which all 70mm presentations still rely. In 2008 the festival was fortunate to welcome Walter Siegmund (1925-2012), who enjoyed attending, and talk about Todd-AO with many of you. Walt recalled how they at American Optical company came up with the basics of the system:
Taking the best parts, the Todd-AO process evolved into similar but related systems like Super Panavision 70, MCS-70, 70mm blow-ups and many more. We celebrate Todd-AO, not only in spirit and by name, but also by showing a variety of "spin off" formats. We hope you will enjoy it. | More in 70mm reading: Todd-AO Festival Home 18th Todd-AO Festival 2025 • Todd-AO Festival Flyer | Todd-AO Festival Plakat • Introductions | Festival Images Festival Archives • Festival Through the Years • Festival Schedule and Archive • More Schauburg Cinerama Festivals in Pictures • Schauburg Cinerama • Best of Todd-AO Festival • Guests | Billboards | Posters Internet link: • Schauburg.de Ticket Links 2025: • 9 - 12th ALL DAYS • Friday, October 10th • Saturday, October 11th • Sunday, Oktober 12th • Schauburg Festivalpages Filmtheater Schauburg Att: Herbert Born Marienstraße 16 76137 Karlsruhe Germany |
 20 years and 18 Programs. Most of which are still available for purchase in Schauburg ticket office.2025 also marks the 130th anniversary of the very first public performance of "living pictures" in Europe. On 1. November 1895, nearly two months ahead of the Lumière brothers' Cinématographe premiere in Paris, brothers Emil and Max Skladanowsky presented their Bioscop, with nine 54mm wide films (each with a running time of less than 20 seconds) at the Wintergarten variety show in Berlin. Little did they know that "living pictures" would evolve into becoming the most important art form of the 20th century. Unfortunately Bioscop was short lived, and by March 1897 it was all over for Max Sklanadowsky. To this day, however, we are still standing on the shoulders of Bioscop. We hope you will feel at home at the Schauburg with plenty of films, new and old. Don't forget to refresh yourself with a cup of coffee or a Hoepfner Brau in the bar before you take your seat to enjoy some Motion Picture High Fidelity. With all this in mind, Herbert Born and I welcome you to the 18th edition of the Todd-AO festival. Thomas Hauerslev in70mm.com | |
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