German government to double film subsidies
March 16, 2017
The federal cabinet approved on Wednesday a resolution leading to an important increase in film subsidies.
The German government plans to add an extra 75 million euros (over $80 million) to the Ministry of Culture's yearly budget as of 2018, doubling its current allocation to 150 million euros. The main aim of the budget increase is to attract foreign productions to Germany.
The sum will be divided into three funds: 25 million euros will go to the Cultural Fund, focusing on artistic and experimental films; 50 million will be allocated to the DFFF1 program of the German Federal Film Fund, known as the Deutscher Filmförderfonds. A new fund, the DFFF2, will obtain the additional 75 million euros. It is dedicated to large productions, especially ones with special effects.
Through this program, up to a fourth of a film's budget spent in Germany can be funded by the German state, according to a report by the daily "Die Welt." This aims to attract foreign productions to make use of German locations and studios, such as the ones in Babelsberg, instead of in the UK or the Czech Republic - two strong competitors in the field.
The measure not only aims to insure income for German studios and special effects companies; by boosting the country's film industry, it is also estimated that each million invested by the German government would lead to between two and four million euros in tax returns for the state, explained "Die Welt."
Acting against fake news abroad
As part of Wednesday's resolution, Deutsche Welle will also see its budget increase by nearly 20 million euros, with the aim of reacting to the spread of fake news abroad.
eg/kbm (dpa, KNA)