Financial Injection

Pennies from heaven for the German film industry

The fact that things are not exactly rosy for the German film industry is nothing new. However, there is a glimmer of light on the horizon for the industry, which is chronically short of cash. The long-awaited turnaround is coming in the form of a government sponsorship fund.

This new fund has been sponsoring cinema productions since 1st January 2007 at an annual rate of 60 million Euros – for three years. As is well known everything good comes from »above«. Although not from heaven, the financial injection from the government, amounting to 180 million Euros for the years 2007 to 2009, is tantamount to a blessing and the hot gush of cash is something for the various associations in the film industry to celebrate. Even those in government, such as the Secretary of State for Culture and the Media Bernd Neumann (CDU), are congratulating themselves for a directed, effective sponsorship policy which should help give the German film industry a health push in the right direction.

»Together with the industry criteria are now being established which will make our production cost compensation model competitive, EU compliant and practicable.«

Bernd Neumann, Secretary of State for Culture and the Media

The 100 million Euro baby

If the previous budget of 40 million Euros is added to the 60 million Euros, this actually amounts to the famous 100 million Euro baby. With the media and cash now deriving from the coffers of regional film sponsorship, distributed throughout the German Federal Film Board (Filmförderungsanstalt, FFA), we arrive at the magnificent sum of 150 million Euros. It is therefore now possible to achieve in Germany what is being achieved in France, Italy and, more recently, in Great Britain.
Producers of cinema films can now recoup between 15 and 20 per cent of the costs they have incurred in this country. Of course one or two conditions are attached to this. For instance, at least 25 per cent of the production budget must be spent in Germany. ­More­over, feature, animation and documentary films must meet certain cultural criteria - a directive from the EU.

Regional subsidy funds

As a matter of course, many institutions of the region also bring their influence to bear when it comes to financing media and media representatives. nordmedia is the central media promotion organisation in the states of Niedersachsen and Bremen. The aim of the organization is to strengthen and further develop the multimedia cultural scene in Niedersachsen and Bremen in both quantitative and qualitative terms. nordmedia organises the support scheme in collaboration with strong company associates and partners. Financial contributions are not only provided by the state of Niedersachsen and the Hanseatic City of Bremen but also by the broadcasters NDR, Radio Bremen and the ZDF. Via nordmedia Fonds, it is thus possible to grant project funds amounting to about 10 million Euros each year.
The cultural film fund Mecklenburg-Vorpommern decides about money for development, production and distribution.

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein supports the production and exploitation of films of all genres and any length, national or international, from the development of the script to the film’s screening in the cinema or its broadcast on television. Applications can be submitted for script funding, project development, production support, sales and distribution support, as well as screening and film presentation support. International co-productions can also be funded. The aims are to bring interesting co-productions to Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, to strengthen producers from the region as potential co-production partners for international projects and to continue existing cooperation. On of the many films who came to life thanks to the film fonds of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and nordmedia was Fatih Akin's new film »Soul Kitchen«.

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