German Motion Picture Fund; Source: istockphoto.com/halbergman

© istockphoto.com/halbergman

Funding is provided for innovative film and serial formats with high production costs and expenditure in Germany. This is to create a special incentive for digital film-making in Germany. The funding programme contributes to drawing the international film industry's attention to Germany as a place to realise film and serial formats and to making the country more attractive especially compared with other European countries.

A study on the economic significance of the film industry in Germany (in German) commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy shows the close link between the film industry and other sectors. Every euro of gross value added generated by the film industry results in €1.6 of value added generated by the German economy as a whole.

Now that the German Motion Picture Fund has been running for several years, it is clear that the programme is a success. The German Motion Picture Fund initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has contributed to establishing Germany as a production location for high-end series. "Babylon Berlin", "Deutschland 86", "You Are Wanted", "Dark", "Berlin Station" and other serial projects that are successful at national and international level would not have been realised in Germany without the GMPF.

The new guidelines (in German) entered into force on 24 October 2018. The funding programme is managed by the German Federal Film Board (FFA) (in German).

Projects receiving funding in 2018

ProjectGrantProduction companyCo-producers
Counterpart, Series 2EUR 1,800,250.0041. Babelsberg Film GmbHCompany Prime LLC
Dark, Series 2EUR 2,823,694.00Dark Series GmbH
OktoberfestEUR 665,316.00Zeitsprung Pictures GmbH

Projects receiving funding in 2017

ProjectGrantProduction companyCo-producers
Acht TageEUR 1,926,249.83NeueSuper Produktions GmbH-
BeatEUR 1,435,000.00Hellinger / Doll Filmproduktion GmbHWarner Bros. Entertainment GmbH
Berlin Station, Series 2EUR 4,000,000.00Neununddreißigste Babelsberg Film GmbHParamount Overseas Productions Inc.--Incoporated
Berliner HundeEUR 2,260,000.00Syrreal Dogs GmbH
Deutschland 86EUR 1,615,000.00UFA Fiction GmbH-
Geschichte eines ParfumsEUR 1,438,934.00Constantin Filmproduktion GmbH Moovie GmbH
You Are Wanted, Series 2EUR 1,842,792.09Pantaleon FilmWarner Bros. Entertainment GmbH

Projects that received funding in 2016

ProjectGrantProduction companyCo-producers
Berlin Station, Series 1EUR 2,500,000.00Sechsunddreißigste Babelsberg Film GmbHParamount Production Overseas Inc. (USA)
Babylon Berlin, Series 1EUR 4,000,000.00X Filme Creative Pool GmbHBeta Film GmbH, ARD Degeto, Sky
Babylon Berlin, Series 2EUR 2,200,000.00X Filme Creative Pool GmbHBeta Film GmbH, ARD Degeto, Sky
You Are Wanted, Series 1EUR 1,437,584.83Pantaleon FilmsGmbHProduktionsfirmaWarner Bros. Entertainment GmbH
Jim Knopf und Lukas der LokomotivführerEUR 2,500,000.00Rat PackFilmproduktion GmbHMalao Film Inc. (USA), Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH, 26. Babelsberg Film GmbH, Constantin Film Produktion GmbH
DarkEUR 2,500,000.00Dark Series GmbH-
Bad BanksEUR 750,000.00LetterboxFilmproduktion GmbHIris Productions SA (Lux)
MuteEUR 1,000,000.0035. Babelsberg Film GmbHLiberty Films Entertainment Limited (UK)