The European Commission has Extension of the German film funding instruments German Federal Film Fund (DFFF I and II) and the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) officially approved. The corresponding decisions were announced at the beginning of December in the EU State Aid Register published and confirm the Continuation of the programmes for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2026.
The notification was made under European state aid law and was approved by the Commission without any conditions. This ensures that the funding programmes can also be continued in the coming year. can be continued in compliance with the law.
Extension deliberately limited to one year
It is striking that the authorisation of the EU exclusively for another year includes. The background to this is the federal government's planned Reform and standardisation of film fundingwhich, according to the current status by the middle of the year 2026 is to be implemented. As part of this process, the existing guidelines are to be restructured and harmonised.
This means for the industry: The current funding logics of the DFFF and GMPF will remain in place for the time being, but are clearly as a temporary solution created.
Importance for producers and streamers
With the EU approval, producers and international clients have the opportunity to Planning security for the year 2026. The GMPF in particular will therefore remain available, even if it is planned in future that streaming productions should no longer be exclusively dependent on this instrumentbut should be more strongly integrated into a standardised support system.
European legal basis confirmed
The decisions of the EU Commission once again confirm that German film funding compatible with European state aid law is. This is particularly important against the background of international co-productions and location decisions, as legal certainty remains a key factor for investments.
With a view to the upcoming reform, the approvals mark less of a new start in terms of content than a new beginning. Stabilisation phaseThis will give the industry time to prepare for the coming structural changes.