Berlin, 7 November 2025 - In the run-up to the meeting of the Committee on Culture and the Media, the digital association Bitkom has taken a position on current issues relating to film funding and cinema policy. In its position, the association emphasises the central role of private media services for Germany as a film and media location.
Bitkom members, including both large and small providers of linear and non-linear audiovisual content, continuously invest in local productions and their marketing. They contribute significantly to the financing of German cinema films with contributions to the German Federal Film Board (FFA) and are important creative partners along the entire value chain. The aim is to make the film location even more competitive internationally.
The statement focuses on the planned reform of film funding. Bitkom is in favour of focusing less on the quantity and more on the quality of productions that demonstrate the creativity and excellence of German film as "lighthouse projects". The creation of planning security for producers and media services is central to this.
The association takes a positive view of the initiative of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) on the voluntary commitment of media services. It enables investment in the film industry in an efficient, unbureaucratic manner and takes into account the industry's different business models and content strategies.
Bitkom also emphasises that existing funding instruments such as the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) need to be further optimised. For example, the minimum budget threshold of 20 million euros for GMPF-funded films is too high for many projects and should be lowered to five million euros in order to give greater consideration to streaming productions in particular. The long cinema exploitation period in the DFFF is also proving to be a hindrance in international comparison.
Bitkom is also in favour of tax-based incentives for film and series funding that could reward creative and financial risks and strengthen international competitiveness. The aim should be flexible, low-bureaucracy and market-orientated funding that focuses on audience success.
Finally, Bitkom emphasises its willingness to actively support the further development of film funding. The association represents over 2,200 companies in the digital economy in Germany, including more than 1,000 SMEs and over 500 start-ups, and is committed to sustainably strengthening Germany as a media centre.