News

Berlin / Potsdam – 2024 was a challenging year for the German film industry, marked by significant cost increases and the absence of internationally competitive federal funding. Despite this, Germany’s No. 1 film location has weathered the crisis robustly, achieving both artistic and economic success. Film productions remain strong, with 5,000 shooting days maintaining a high level. All three German box office blockbusters were MBB-funded, along with many films that secured a strong presence at both national and international festivals.

Kirsten Niehuus, CEO Film Funding, MBB:
"The capital region has navigated the crisis year 2024 with stability, and we are thrilled about the many artistic and economic successes of the local film industry. However, even though Berlin-Brandenburg remains resilient, the situation continues to be challenging until a permanently established, internationally competitive funding model is in place in Germany."

Economically Stable

• In the capital region, the number of shooting days has decreased by only about 10% to 5,000, a much smaller drop compared to the national average, keeping Berlin-Brandenburg at the forefront of Germany’s film industry.
• Of MBB’s total €47 million funding budget, €33 million is allocated to supporting films, high-end series, and cinema. An additional €4.5 million goes toward funding film-related events.
• Film funding is a worthwhile investment: €26.7 million in production funding for 95 films and high-end series has generated five times the investment, creating a regional economic impact of €132 million! In the series funding sector, the impact is even higher at nearly 700% (€29 million).
• All three German box office hits—Die Schule der magischen Tiere 3, Chantal im Märchenland, and Eine Million Minuten—were made possible with substantial support from MBB.
• The top three most successful documentary films also benefited from MBB funding: Riefenstahl, Element of Crime – Wenn es dunkel und kalt wird in Berlin, and Die Unbeugsamen 2 – Guten Morgen, Ihr Schönen!.
• A total of 12.6 million viewers watched MBB-funded films in cinemas, representing an 81% share of the German market, which had 15.5 million total cinema admissions in 2024.
• MBB is also committed to supporting the diverse cinema landscape of the capital region, investing €2.8 million in cinemas and allocating €1.5 million for the annual Cinema Program Award. Recognizing cinemas as an essential cultural asset, MBB contributes up to 20% of total costs to support the BKM Cinema Future Program.
• Streaming Success: The award-winning series Die Zweiflers reached over 3.8 million streams in the ARD Mediathek by the end of November. The second season of Die Kaiserin, featuring visual effects “Made in Berlin”, debuted at #1 on the Netflix charts, with 6.7 million viewers worldwide in its first week.
• Other streaming highlights of the year include Zeit Verbrechen, Wo wir sind ist oben, Sexuell verfügbar, Ich bin Dagobert, and Palast 2.
• VFX Industry Growth: The continued success of VFX funding is paying off, solidifying Berlin-Brandenburg as a premier hub for visual effects, complete with highly specialized jobs with long-term potential. The regional economic impact of VFX production reached €22.8 million, four times the funding amount of €5.7 million. Notable digital film production funding in 2024 includes: Jiminy (Paul Greengrass), Die Schule der magischen Tiere 4, Momo (new adaptation), Achtsam Morden, City of Blood, Der Medicus 2, Das Licht

Artistic Excellence

• The 75th Berlinale opens with the MBB-funded Berlin film Das Licht by Tom Tykwer and features 15 MBB-supported films in its official program.
• Other major international festival successes from the past year include: Maria (World Premiere in Venice, Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography), Motel Destino and Megalopolis (Cannes Competition), 11 Lolas awarded to 5 MBB-funded films at the German Film Awards, 8 awards for 4 MBB-supported films at the Berlinale
• Among the most acclaimed and awarded series of the year are: Die Zweiflers (David Hadda) – Season 2 is already in development, Zeit Verbrechen – Winner of multiple TV and streaming awards, both MBB-funded

Berlin-Brandenburg as a Film Hub & Job Creator

• Films and series serve as the best marketing tool for the capital region, with “Made in Berlin-Brandenburg” productions bringing the myth of Berlin—the city of freedom—to screens worldwide.
• Berlin itself is increasingly taking on leading roles in productions such as Wunderschöner and the latest series The Next Level, Bone Palace, and Krank Berlin. These portrayals shape the global image of the region, contributing to Berlin’s recognition as one of the world’s top 7 most referenced film cities.
• The film industry is a major job engine in Berlin-Brandenburg, providing at least 50,000 jobs in the Audiovisual Creative Industries—and 100,000 jobs in total when including related sectors like crafts, logistics, gastronomy, and hospitality, which all benefit from film productions.
• Berlin’s new film permit office is already yielding positive results, with streamlined application forms and closer cooperation between districts and the Central Road Traffic Authority, leading to more efficient workflows.
• MBB continues to support the industry in navigating future opportunities and challenges, including working with the new federal government and states to finalize the restructuring of national film funding. The implementation of a new, internationally competitive funding model at the federal level will be crucial for the future of the film industry in Berlin-Brandenburg.

A Toast to the New Trailer for Berlin-Brandenburg as a Film Location! 🎬

OUTLOOK FOR 2025

1st Funding Round – Nearly 90 Applications. MBB is funding 35 films and series with a total of €4.1 million, including:

• EMIL UND DIE DETEKTIVE (Florian Dietrich, UFA Fiction) – €650,000
• RAGING MOMS (Sonja Heiss, Wiedemann & Berg) – €500,000
• WESTEND GIRL (Series by Pola Beck/Stefan Schaller, Flare Film) – €400,000
• SPAZIERGANG NACH SYRACUS (Lars Jessen, Pandora) – €200,000
  >>> Full funding announcement

Upcoming Films in Cinemas & Festivals, including:
GELBE BRIEFE (İlker Çatak), MERCY (Emily Atef), MIROIRS NO. 3 (Christian Petzold), CONTROL (Robert Schwentke), THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME (Wes Anderson), AMRUM (Fatih Akin), DER MEDICUS 2 (Philipp Stölzl), 22 BAHNEN (Mia Maariel Meyer), ALLEGRO PASTELL (Anna Roller), DAS LEBEN DER WÜNSCHE (Erik Schmitt), ONE HIT, NO WONDER (Florian Dietrich)

Current & Upcoming Productions, including:

ATHOS 2643 (David Wnendt), THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN (Ruben Östlund), CONSULTANTS (Lars Kraume), BABYLON BERLIN 5 (Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten, Achim von Borries)

Berlinale & Oscars

• 15 MBB-funded productions at the Berlinale: The Berlin film DAS LICHT opens the festival, 5 films featured as Special Presentations, 5 world premieres in the Panorama section, MIT DER FAUST IN DIE WELT SCHLAGEN competes in the new Perspectives category >>> MBB-funded films @ Berlinale – Full Overview
• MARIA receives an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography

New Direction, Proven Strength

In mid-2025, MBB’s funding process will transition to a committee-based selection system. After more than 20 successful years as CEO, Kirsten Niehuus will hand over leadership to Sarah Duve-Schmid.

Downloads

• Shooting Landscape Brandenburg 2024