The German Producer Day is the central film and media policy conference for the film industry in Germany. Since 2012, representatives from politics, the media, the film and television industry as well as funding and exploitation institutions have met every year at the start of the Berlinale to discuss the future of the German film industry.

2025, the German Producers' Day was dominated by the upcoming Bundestag elections. Around 650 national and international guests came together at the Colosseum film theatre in Berlin to discuss new approaches for a sustainable film industry in Germany. The event was characterised by high-profile speeches and a clear appeal to the future federal government: the extension of existing funding programmes and the introduction of an automated, uncapped tax incentive system should be implemented within the first 100 days of the new legislative period.

The key speakers included Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, the Senator for Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg Dr Carsten Brosda and Berlinale Director Tricia Tuttle. Dr Jakob Scherer (Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House), ARD Director General Florian Hager and Stephan Schmitter, CEO of RTL Germany, also made important contributions to the content.

In his welcoming address, Björn Böhning, CEO and spokesman of the Production Alliance's Board of Directors, called on the new German government to continue the reform of film funding that has already begun: "The international competitiveness of Germany as a film location stands and falls with a competitive tax incentive model. We must also prevent rights to German productions from migrating abroad unhindered. At the same time, the industry itself is in demand: it needs the courage to have visions and to work together."

In her speech, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth took stock of the film funding reform and emphasised that the new Film Funding Act was one of the most important cultural policy projects of this legislative period. She emphasised that important progress had been made under difficult conditions and that further success depended largely on the cohesion of the industry. In his rousing speech, Hamburg's Senator for Culture and Media, Dr Carsten Brosda, also emphasised the responsibility of politicians to actively support the protection of persecuted artists.

In a panel discussion, ARD Director General Florian Hager explained: "ARD is in the middle of a reform process. We are implementing structural changes and will remain a strong partner for producers as a commissioning organisation." RTL Germany CEO Stephan Schmitter emphasised the role of artificial intelligence in the industry: "AI cannot replace creativity, but it will help us to make production processes more efficient. This is crucial for the future viability of our industry."

At the end of the event, Thomas Hacker (FDP), Martin Rabanus (SPD), Michael Sacher (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and Dr Christiane Schenderlein (CDU) discussed the future of German film production in the traditional "Berlin Round Table" under the key question: "Where is Germany heading as a production country?"

The German Producers' Day 2025 has thus formulated clear demands to politicians and emphasised that sustainable reforms are essential for the competitiveness of the German film industry.

Source: German Producer Day 2025