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Film in Berlin and Brandenburg. Tradition and innovation since 1895.

Berlin / Potsdam – Berlin was and still is a promise, both 100 years ago and today: the Roaring Twenties are back, Berlin is once again the city of freedom and, together with Brandenburg, it is the innovation hub.

Germany’s most traditional film location is a top international brand: film crews, world-class film craft and technology meet an inexhaustible variety of motifs here, attracting the national and global film community, as do visitors to Berlin who love the creative lifestyle and authentic locations!

 >> THE NEW FILM ABOUT THE LOCATION <<

The spectrum is huge, ranging from Schanelec to John Wick and from “Wunderschön” to “Asbest”. Current Bear, Oscar and Lola candidates come from the capital region, such as Kida Khodr Ramadan’s media centre record-breaker (over 8 million views), blockbusters like “Rheingold” and “Uncharted” and the visual effects in “Fantastic Beasts”, “Matrix 4” and “Schule der magischen Tiere”.

Berlin-Brandenburg holds its undisputed position as Germany’s No. 1 film and media location with 6,200 shooting days (a new record!), 15.3 million moviegoers for MBB-funded films, six productions with over one million viewers, the Palme d’Or at Cannes, global streaming hits from the German capital region and the triple Oscar nominee “Triangle of Sadness”.

With streaming being a new player and marking a watershed, Berlin is now the place to be and the place tomake movies! Being a fascinating source of stories and history both for the big screen and screens at home, the city itself is increasingly taking on a supporting role. Films and series made in Berlin-Brandenburg travel the world, shaping the image of the region and attracting visitors to the city of freedom. So-called film-induced tourism has become a relevant factor and is the reason for many visits to Berlin.

This is a development in which MBB has played a significant role.

MEDIENBOARD: Film funding 2022 at a glance

• From approximately 41 million euros in MBB funding, 32.4 million euros support film projects and cinemas.
• These in turn spark a regional effect six times as strong, which means that more than 194 million euros are invested in the region through film funding.
• 6,200 shooting days through to the prequel to “The Hunger Games”, “Berlin Nobody”, “The King’s Land”, “Asbest”, “Heisenberg”, “Constellation”, “A Thin Line”, “In Liebe, eure Hilde”, among others, stand for a new record.
• 15.3 million viewers see MBB-supported films in movie theatres, which is just under 21% of total moviegoers per year (73.5 million).
• Cinema Charts: six productions with over one million viewers and seven of the top ten films made with MBB funding! “Fantastic Beasts 3”, “Schule der magischen Tiere 1+2”, “Wunderschön”, “Uncharted”, “Rheingold”, ”Bibi & Tina” and “Einfach mal was Schönes”.
• #mbbgefördert too: most successful European arthouse film “Triangle of Sadness” and most successful German arthouse film “Mittagsstunde”.
• The renewed senate resolution “film-friendly city” strengthens the film location, making the location even more attractive, both nationally and internationally.
• Digital film production: due to the positive development of the VFX location, the state of Berlin has increased funding for this support programme to a total of nine million euros over the next two years: a regional effect of 585%  in VFX promotion!
   

With 32.4 million euros out of a total volume of almost 41 million euros, film funding supports film projects, high-end drama series, development, distribution, cinemas and festivals. These MBB funds trigger six times the investment in the region. This means that for every single euro of funding, six euros are spent in Berlin-Brandenburg, resulting in 194 million euros of investment in the region and a peak effect of around 600%.

Funding for digital film production successfully launched: due to high demand, Berlin is increasing funding to nine million euros as VFX has long been an established feature in the filmmaking process, with a wide spectrum of new jobs in the high-tech segment. The film industry as a whole is also an important economic driver for Berlin-Brandenburg, with at least 50,000 jobs in the audiovisual creative industries. Film crews here are technically cutting edge, so that even major American productions no longer bring in their own staff, but instead, handle everything with German crews.

The current shooting boom of feature films and high-end series not only ensures full employment in front of and behind the camera along with good prospects for young talent, but at the same time an enormous demand for skilled workers. Education and training initiatives are highly relevant in MBB’s funding strategy. The number of shooting days has increased almost sixfold in the last ten years from 1,107 (2012) to the current 6,200 (2022). Across all districts and counties, the end slate is used 17 times a day on average, which also poses an enormous challenge to the approval authorities. The Berlin renewal of the resolution “film-friendly city” is therefore crucial. Film work is to be made much easier in the form of a one-stop agency.

Berlin – a film tourism destination.Numerous Hollywood productions and many of the most successful German productions of recent years have been made in the capital region. Berlin images flicker across screens all over the world, noticeably boosting tourism to the capital, as is confirmed by visitBerlin. This of course means ideal site marketing for Berlin-Brandenburg, with films and series showing the region in all its diversity: a cool, hip cosmopolitan city with original historical sites rubbing shoulders with modern architecture, surrounded by wild, romantic Brandenburg with lakes, castles, forests, enchanted villages and world-class (film) technology.

Possible thoughts of Berlin tourists: it can’t be bad if Kristen Stewart, Keanu Reeves, Cate Blanchett and the Wachowskis like to shoot and feel good in the city! Let’s visit Berlin as well!

Kirsten Niehuus, Managing Director of MBB: “Film – going well! Ever more shooting days, successful films and series at festivals, at the box office and with global streaming audiences. As a side effect location marketing for Berlin as a destination of choice! A cool cosmopolitan city in the green countryside, and a perfect place not only for filming but also for visitors to be part of the story.”

Burkhard Kieker, Managing Director of visitBerlin: “Berlin is a magnet for film and history enthusiasts. A true film city, it offers an experience which creates desires that Berlin can satisfy.”

Outlook 2023: 1^st funding round for new films and series

An eventful film year lies ahead with several new projects:

• Julia von Heinz (790,000 euros for "Iron Box", starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry), 
• Dominik Graf (500,000 euros for “Ein kalifornischer Traum” about Christa Wolf), 
• Matti Geschonneck (500,000 euros for the tv-movie “Sie sagt / Er sagt”),  
• Robert Thalheim (400,000 euros for “Kundschafter des Friedens 2")
• Jan-Ole Gerster (300,000 euros for “The Tourist”),
• Eva Trobisch (200,000 euros for “Etwas ganz Besonderes”),
• Lilli Tautfest (200,000 euros for “Tochter der Erde”),
• Kida Khodr Ramadan & Cüneyt Kaya (400,000 euros for the series “Haram”),
• Christian Alvart (300,000 euros for the 3rd part of the series “Sløborn”).

Festivals & Prices

• MBB @ Berlinale: 14 films and series funded by MBB at the Berlinale, two of them in competition: “Music” by Angela Schanelec and “Afire” by Christian Petzold.
• 3 Oscar nominations for the MBB-funded film “Triangle of Sadness”.
• German Film Award 2023: 22 MBB-funded films in the LOLA preselection.

>> Now in CINEMA and STREAM <<

Future Topics & Challenges

• Cinema diversity is an essential cultural factor, supported by the highly endowed Berlin-Brandenburg Cinema Programme Award and investment funding from the MBB. After all, only cinema can do what cinema can do!
• High demand for high-end content made in Berlin-Brandenburg leads to more filming, and more filming in turn leads to increased demand for skilled workers. Together with the media companies of the region, MBB supports initiatives for training and continuing education, including for career changers.
• The rush for Berlin’s diverse venues is huge, indeed posing a challenge for approval authorities. A one-stop agency is the objective.
• Green minimum standards: in 2023, all German film subsidies stipulate the same minimum ecological standards as a funding requirement.
• Diversity is a high priority for film funders. MBB provides funding on the principle of “all things being equal, preference is given to the project with a female director”. It supports workshops, provides training for employees and funds pro-rata costs for intimacy coordination, harassment officers, and on-set childcare.
• Compliance with social standards is a funding requirement.

Downloads

• FACT SHEET on film funding 2022
• SHOOTING LANDSCAPE Brandenburg 2022