The draft federal budget for 2027 allocates a total of 214 million euros to the German Film Promotion Fund (DFFF) and the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF). This would mean that the federal government’s two key incentive schemes would receive €36 million less next year than in 2026. The draft budget was debated in the German Bundestag in September.

A budget of 64 million euros has been allocated for the DFFF I, down from 70 million euros in the current year. The allocation for DFFF II is set to fall from 90 million to 75 million euros. The GMPF is also budgeted at 75 million euros, having previously been earmarked for 90 million euros in 2026. The total funding for the DFFF and GMPF had previously been increased to 250 million euros for 2026. The funds had already been exhausted by August; a freeze on applications was subsequently imposed for both programmes.

The planned cut therefore comes at a time of high demand for the federal funding schemes. In August, the FFA reported record numbers of applications and film shoots commencing for the DFFF and GMPF.

The draft budget still has to go through the remaining parliamentary procedures. The estimates for the DFFF and GMPF have therefore not yet been finalised.