The tightening of the cuts already provided for in the draft budget to around 44 million euros each in the budget adjustment meeting of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag considerably weakens the film industry. Economic film funding with the three instruments DFFF I, DFFF II and GMPF is a prerequisite for production companies and locations to survive in global competition. Under the current challenging conditions, the additional cuts will deprive producers of a further degree of planning security and jeopardise productions and jobs.

The news that the Ministry of Finance is extending the budget freeze to almost the entire federal budget is causing additional uncertainty. Applicants now need immediate clarity on the treatment of applications for the three funding instruments, especially in cases where filming is already underway due to the early start of measures.

Björn BöhningCEO of the Alliance of German Producers: "This fatal decision by the Bundestag increases the urgency of a structural reform. The film industry associations have submitted concrete proposals for this and the Commissioner for Culture and the Media has held out the prospect of implementing a major reform by 1 January 2025. Every effort must now be made to fulfil this ambitious timetable."

Susanne Binninger, co-chairwoman of AG DOK: "The federal government and the federal states are now all the more challenged to ensure that Germany as a film location can finally realise its creative and economic potential again. This requires a joint commitment to a fundamental reform with a competitive incentive system and a commitment to investment."

Benjamin Herrmann, Chairman of the Board of the German Film Academy: "This surprising decision is unsettling for both the German film industry and international partners and represents a real step backwards. All the more reason for us to hope that the planned structural reform of German film financing, as announced by the BKM, will materialise. Creativity and productivity in Germany are in urgent need of a boost.

Erwin M. SchmidtManaging Director of the producers' association: "The funding instruments DFFF I, DFFF II and GMPF are essential drivers for the industry, their weakening leads to fewer shoots, standstills in the studios and job losses - but also to fewer programmes and less diversity for viewers. A future-proof reform of film funding and financing is therefore more important than ever."