04 Jul In memory of Helmut
Our dear friend and co-founder of Kino Otok – Isola Cinema, Helmut Groschup, left us suddenly on Saturday, 1 July, at the age of sixty-nine. Founder and long-time director of the Innsbruck International Film Festival, film curator, journalist, critic and lecturer, he has always dedicated himself to film as he has to people: with an open mind and heart.
Helmut has been and always will be an irreplaceable, reliable part of the Kino Otok – Isola Cinema Festival, he has been a dedicated participant in the preparation and execution of the film programme over the years and has brought to Otok many valuable films and filmmakers from many geographic and cinematic worlds.
In 2012, the Municipality of Izola awarded him the title of Izola Ambassador for his outstanding contribution to promoting Izola beyond its borders. Izola has become his second home and he has often returned here on numerous occasions and celebrations.
Helmut is a devoted friend, a loyal collaborator, a true godfather to Kino Otok. In his absence there is a void that in our grief we cannot even anticipate. And in his absence remains an enduring inspiration of his gentle but combative faith in comradeship, friendship, and cinema.
Kino Otok – Isola Cinema Festival Team
