News

Berlin / Potsdam -Sarah Duve-Schmid will become the new CEO of Film Funding and Spokesperson for Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg in mid-2025. At its meeting on July 17, 2024, the supervisory board appointed her as the successor to Kirsten Niehuus, who will retire in mid-2025.

Duve-Schmid is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Board and Head of the Funding Department at the Federal Film Board (FFA) in Berlin and has extensive knowledge of the Berlin-Brandenburg film location. She was previously the long-time CEO of Vision Kino and is therefore also closely connected to this significant industry. Additionally, she serves as Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees of the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB). The supervisory board is pleased that her expertise will help maintain and expand Germany's leading film location.

Helge Jürgens, the current CEO for Games and New Media, will remain in his position until his retirement in mid-2028. Over the past nearly ten years, he has successfully built and expanded this sector. His commitment has fostered a diverse and creative scene in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, which will continue to be strengthened in the future.

Florian Graf, Head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery and Chairman of the Medienboard Supervisory Board, is pleased with the decisions made: "With the supervisory board's decision, Medienboard is heading towards a continued successful future. Building on the outstanding 20-year work of Kirsten Niehuus, who made the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region the center of German film over two decades, Sarah Duve-Schmid represents the further development of film funding and its structure, bringing extensive experience from the FFA. She is thoroughly familiar with the political and professional issues and can seamlessly take over this responsible position. The ongoing collaboration with Helge Jürgens ensures continuity in the Games and New Media sector for the coming years, allowing us to build on the successful developments of recent years."

Hendrik Fischer, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the State of Brandenburg and Deputy Chairman of the Medienboard Supervisory Board, adds: "Finding a new Managing Director after the successful era of Kirsten Niehuus was indeed no easy task. The shoes to fill are big. Now I am confident that we have found a worthy successor in Ms. Duve-Schmid, who will bring her own unique touch to this position with her many years of experience from the FFA. In a binational organization, it will be crucial to skillfully coordinate the diverse interests. I wish the new management much success in this endeavor!"