As part of the new cultural policy initiative „JUGEND.macht.KULTUR 2026“ The programme will provide an additional one million euros for cultural youth development projects. A central component of the funding goes to the nationwide film education programme Vision cinema, which receives 300,000 euros for the further development of the School Cinema Weeks.

With this initiative, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) is focusing on programmes designed to make it easier for young people to access art, culture and creative forms of expression. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer emphasised the importance of cultural participation as a social factor: it is „an elixir for the future of democracy“ and gives young people access to cultural education regardless of their social background.

Expansion of the school cinema weeks

The funding for Vision Kino will be used in particular to expand the range of School Cinema Weeks to expand the programme. The programme is one of the largest film education programmes in Germany and brings around one million schoolchildren to around 800 cinemas nationwide every year.

The aim is to anchor film more firmly as a cultural and educational medium in the school context and at the same time to strengthen cinemas as extracurricular places of learning. The programme thus also makes a contribution to long-term audience development in the German cinema market.

Part of a broader funding strategy

In addition to Vision Kino, other projects are supported as part of the initiative. These include the Akademie der Künste's „Kunstwelten“ and the „U25 - Richtung: Junge Kulturinitiativen“ programme of the Fonds Soziokultur. The German Museums Association and the Genshagen Foundation also receive additional funding for youth-orientated and participatory cultural projects.

Significance for the film and cinema industry

The increase in funding for Vision Kino is particularly relevant for the German film industry. Film education and early cultural participation are seen as key building blocks for the development of future cinema audiences. At the same time, programmes such as the SchulKinoWochen strengthen cooperation between schools, cinemas and the film industry.

With this new funding line, the federal government is sending a signal for the long-term anchoring of film as an educational and cultural medium in the public sphere.