The German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) and the Berlin regional film funding body, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, have devised a way of encouraging American producers to spend production money in Germany.
The mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, will explain to an LA audience how American producers in Beverly Hills on 13 March how they can profit from the DFFF which offers a 20% rebate on every Euro spent. They will also present the advantages of Berlin-Babelsberg as one of Europe’s most attractive centers for film making.
Berlin is an exciting and vibrant film hub which is home to many of Germany’s finest creative cinematic talents such as Tom Tykwer, director of “Perfume” and “Run Lola Run”. Academy Award winner Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck filmed “The Lives of Others” in Berlin. Many other international films have also been shot in the city, including “V for Vendetta,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” “Around the World in 80 Days,” “The Pianist,” “Beyond the Sea” and “Aeon Flux.”
Klaus Wowereit explains: “Film and media are growth sectors representing a major economic factor for Berlin. We’re extremely happy that our city has become an increasingly attractive location for international film productions and we’re delighted that stars like Matt Damon enjoy working here and keep coming back. Not only does Germany’s capital city offer attractive film production locations but it also has explicit policies enabling major foreign productions to benefit from the best conditions.”
The Medienboard’s managing directors, Petra Muller and Kirsten Niehuus, are proud of the region’s creative and financial resources: “Berlin has all the best ingredients for the production of films, including the necessary political and monetary backing,” says Niehuus. While in L.A., the Medienboard will introduce the enormous advantages of shooting and producing international productions in Berlin. The managing director of Germany’s famed Studio Babelsberg, Carl Woebcken, will also provide an outline of the studio’s facilities and co-production opportunities.
The presentation will take place on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the sister-city partnership between Berlin and Los Angeles. The cities will celebrate their long-lasting friendship in close cooperation with a number of institutions. For more information on the activities visit www.berlin.de/LA-Berlin.
