08/01/2014 - The film fund supported the German film industry with more than 80 M€ with a third of the budget spent on production support

The Federal Film Board in Germany strikes a balance for 2013. Last year, the funding body gave grants in the amount of 83.7 M€ which is an increase compared to the 78.7 M€ it gave in 2012. More than a third of the total budget was spent on production support. A cash injection of 18.3 M€ was invested in 55 feature films, while an additional 12.5 M€ were greenlighted as automatic aid to film producers.

The distribution and marketing of German films was backed with an automatic aid of 6.8 M€ and a further 3.1 M€ went to the selective distribution support. 17.7 M€ was given to the exhibitors for the digital transition and modernization work of their cinemas. The release of video was supported with a total sum of 8.4 M€.

With the new film law that has become effective in Germany on the January 1, there is also more transparency in the application process. Following the example of the European subsidies Eurimages and MEDIA, German producers can apply electronically for production support from the Federal Film Board.

“The FFA is one of the first film funding institutions in Germany which will offer a completely digital application process for production support. It is our aim that the other funding divisions will also follow successively,” emphasizes Christine Berg, Deputy Chairman of the FFA and responsible for the funding division. “The whole process from the application through to the handling will become much faster, transparent - and last but not least, more sustainable.”