The jurybasierte kulturelle Produktionsförderung für Kurzfilme is the federal government's production funding for short films. Its legal basis is the Richtlinie für die jurybasierte kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes of 31 March 2025, administered by the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) on behalf of the BKM (the federal government commissioner for culture and the media). Read this first: this is not the funding for a first or second film. Only applicants who can already evidence two films made with relevant financing, across at least two of the three Gewerke (creative departments) of screenplay, direction and production, may apply to the FFA — and the FFA leaves open whose films those must be; the detail is under „Who can apply“. It supports the production of outstanding short films with a running time of no more than 30 minutes — expressly including animation and experimental films and hybrid forms — with grants of up to €40,000 (§ 2 (1), § 3 (7), § 69). The FFA publishes no success rate; in the only round decided so far under the rules in force since 1 January 2026, 4 of 26 applications were funded (press release of 22 May 2026). The 2025 rounds are not comparable, because until 31 December 2025 talent films could still be submitted to the FFA. The next and, for 2026, last published submission date for short films is 25 August 2026, with the jury sitting on 4–5 November 2026. This record covers the general short film strand only. Children's short films have their own submission date (1 September 2026, session on 9–10 November 2026), their own jury — the Förderjury für Kinderfilme (§ 14 (1)) — and their own Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm; they are kept in the separate record ffa-jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kinderkurzfilm.
Eligibility comes before any question of content — and it moved on 1 January 2026. Only those who do not meet the application requirements of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film may apply to the FFA (§ 53 (1)); that dividing line has been in force since the Kuratorium's own Talentfilm Richtlinie took effect, backed by a budget of more than €9m. The mechanism is in § 75 (5): it suspends § 52 sentence 4 and § 53 (1) „bis zum Zeitpunkt des Inkrafttretens der neuen Richtlinie für die Talentfilmförderung des Kuratoriums junger deutscher Film“ (until the Kuratorium's new Talentfilm Richtlinie enters into force) and names no date itself. That this moment is 1 January 2026 comes not from the Richtlinie but from the FFA programme page („seit 1. Januar 2026“) and the Kuratorium. The FFA translates this into a hard rule on Referenzfilme (prior qualifying films that establish eligibility): applicants must evidence at least two feature-length films or short films that were made with relevant financing and have had — or are suitable for — commercial theatrical, TV, streaming or festival exploitation; the two reference works must be evidenced in at least two of the three Gewerke of screenplay, direction and production. Short films made without public funding or other relevant financing do not count as reference films (FFA FAQ and FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026). The two routes do not, however, fit together without a gap: the Kuratorium tests whether this is a first or second project, the FFA tests two reference films made with relevant financing. Anyone already working on a third project but able to show only self-financed short films may meet neither set of requirements, and should settle that with both bodies before submitting. Projects to be financed with university funds, such as exercise films or graduation films, are not eligible at either body (§ 52).
The Richtlinie provides a series of reliefs for short films. A festival release counts as equivalent to public screening in German cinemas (§ 70), so the fourth condition of the erhebliche deutsche kulturelle Prägung (substantial German cultural character) can be met without a theatrical release; the holdback periods of the FFG (Filmförderungsgesetz, the federal film funding act) and the duty to secure a regular theatrical first release do not apply to funded short films (§ 31 sentence 3). Short film and experimental film productions, and productions with production costs below €50,000, are exempt from the ökologische Standards (the FFA's binding sustainability rules) under § 66, and short film productions are likewise exempt from the duty to pay at or near collectively agreed rates (§ 33 sentence 4) — but the FFA does check the BKM's Honoraruntergrenzen (minimum fee floors) as soon as federal funding together exceeds 50% of the total financing (FFA FAQ). Nor does the reversion of television rights apply to short films (§ 62 (4)). What does remain: an accessible version with German subtitles and audio description for every final version (§ 32, with an exception possible on a reasoned request), a German-language or German-subtitled version (§ 27), the BAFA project certificate (§ 57), the archive copy for the Bundesarchiv (the federal archive) (§ 64) and a separate project bank account (FFA FAQ). An advisory call before applying is not compulsory; the FFA does, however, expressly recommend attending its webinars and offers individual project consultations up to two weeks before the deadline at the latest.
Competition is hard, though application numbers have fallen sharply against 2025. At the session of 22–23 April 2026 (press release of 22 May 2026) the jury awarded €160,000 to four of 26 applications — all four received the full €40,000. The 2025 figures were considerably higher: 72 applications and €229,000 to six projects per the press release of 18 July 2025 (first session of 2025), and 71 applications and €300,000 to eight projects per the press release of 13 October 2025 (second session of 2025). The fall from around 71 to 26 applications coincides with the transfer of talent film funding to the Kuratorium on 1 January 2026; the FFA has published no explanation, and the connection is a plausible but unevidenced inference. The Richtlinie runs until 31 December 2028 (§ 75 (1)), so there is no expiry cliff at the end of the year. Only the Richtlinie in its currently valid version and the FFA's own statements are binding. This summary replaces neither the Richtlinie nor a consultation with the FFA.
One day left: 25 August 2026 is the last submission date the short film jury has published for 2026 (session on 4–5 November 2026); as at 24 August 2026 the FFA has published no dates for 2027. The FFA publishes no time of day for the deadline; applications arriving after 23:59 can be withdrawn without consequence and resubmitted for the next session. Anyone who does not yet have an FFA-Serviceportal account cannot realistically make this date — activation takes several days according to the FFA.
Careful — there are two different dates: children's short films do not use this deadline but 1 September 2026, with a session on 9–10 November 2026, decided by the Förderjury für Kinderfilme (§ 14 (1)), and handled by its own Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm: Selay Esperling, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-420, esperling@ffa.de, and Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de. Julian Elsässer, the Antragsberatung contact named here, does not cover children's short films; Franziska Frenzel advises on both strands. That strand is kept in the separate record ffa-jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kinderkurzfilm.
Formally open, in practice closed to newcomers: 25 August 2026 is the last submission date the short film jury has published for 2026, and it falls one day after the date of this entry. Anyone who does not yet have an FFA-Serviceportal account cannot meet it — activation and linking to existing projects take several days according to the FFA. The window for a one-to-one application consultation (at the latest two weeks before the deadline) also closed for 25 August 2026 on 11 August 2026.
The date is realistic only for applications that are already finished and set up in the portal; for questions of substance: the Antragsberatung — Julian Elsässer, Förderreferent, tel. 030 27577-157, elsaesser@ffa.de, or Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de. Anyone who misses it has no further published date for short films: as at 24 August 2026 the FFA's Einreich- und Sitzungstermine (submission and session dates) page listed no 2027 dates for the jury-based cultural film funding; under § 15 (2) the short film jury meets up to twice a year, and both 2026 submission dates (10 February and 25 August) are therefore used up — an additional session is not ruled out and the FFA says it would announce one in good time, but none is published. What remains in 2026: children's short film at the FFA (deadline 1 September 2026, a different jury and its own Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm — kept as a separate record) and the short film production funding of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film (deadline 23 September 2026 at 18:00, a different target group).
Grants are generally subject to the available budget under § 24 (1). One change matters, and it is recent: since 1 January 2026 applications for Talentkurzfilme (talent short films) must go to the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, and the number of applications to the FFA has fallen from 71 (press release of 13 October 2025) to 26 (press release of 22 May 2026).
A hard cut-off at fixed submission dates, not a rolling window: the complete application must be submitted through the FFA-Serviceportal by the relevant deadline; submission is possible at any point up to that date. Incomplete applications cannot be considered (§ 23 (2)). Applications arriving after 23:59 on the deadline can be withdrawn without consequence and resubmitted for the next session.
The Eigenanteil must be calculated correctly by the deadline — it cannot be corrected afterwards. For essential documents whose timely delivery is outside the applicant's control, such as another funder's decision issued after the deadline, there is a two-day supplementary window roughly two weeks before the session; screenplays may not be supplemented or exchanged in it. In addition, individual files may be supplied at short notice in justified exceptional cases (FFA FAQ).
Under the Richtlinie the jury meets up to twice a year (§ 15 (2)); the FFA notes that it would announce any additional sessions in good time. Shooting or animation work may only begin once the Zuwendungsbescheid (the formal funding decision) has been issued (§ 54 (2)).
Grants of up to €40,000 are available for the production of short films (§ 69 of the Richtlinie für die jurybasierte kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes of 31 March 2025). It is a non-repayable Zuschuss (grant) paid as Anteilfinanzierung — a set percentage of the eligible costs rather than a fixed sum, so the grant falls with them if the final costs come in lower (§ 25). There is no fixed percentage rate and no minimum total production cost; the €40,000 is a ceiling, but in practice it is the norm: at the session of 22–23 April 2026 (press release of 22 May 2026) all four funded projects received €40,000 each; per the press release of 13 October 2025 (second session of 2025) six of eight projects received €40,000 and two €30,000; and per the press release of 18 July 2025 (first session of 2025) four of six projects received €40,000, one €39,000 and one €30,000 — 14 of 18 grants at the full amount in total.
The FFA expressly advises against asking for less than the project needs: „Das bewusste Nichtausschöpfen des maximalen Förderbetrags führt nicht zu einer positiveren Einschätzung des Vorhabens“ (deliberately not exhausting the maximum grant does not make the project look better) (FFA FAQ). Applicants must carry an Eigenanteil (own contribution to the financing) of at least 5% of the costs recognised by the FFA (§ 56 (2)); for international projects the German financing share is the basis of that calculation (FFA FAQ). An Eigenanteil miscalculated at submission cannot be supplemented or corrected afterwards, and falling below the 5% as a result means, as a rule, exclusion from the competition (FFA FAQ).
For short film production the Handlungskosten (production overheads) may be up to 15% of the production costs — calculated after deducting the budgeted overheads and financing costs — but no more than €15,000 per short film (FFA FAQ). § 18 of the Richtlinie D.2 for Referenzfilmförderung under the FFG (Filmförderungsgesetz, the federal film funding act) expressly does not apply to short films (§ 56 (1) sentence 2). On aid intensity the Richtlinie and the FFA's own pages disagree: under § 21 (1) the aid intensity for difficult audiovisual works — and short films are expressly such works under § 3 (8) — may be raised to 100% of eligible costs, whereas the FFA states 95% in its FAQ and in the webinar slide deck (version of 13 August 2026). Both figures are given here; the Richtlinie is the binding source.
For a short-film application, however, the operative ceiling is 95%: the Eigenanteil of at least 5% required by § 56 (2) may contain no funding money of any kind (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026), so 95% aid intensity plus 5% Eigenanteil close the financing exactly. The 100% of § 21 (1) is the state-aid headroom that the Eigenanteil obligation uses up. The grant cannot be combined with the Talentförderung of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026).
Jury-based project funding with no legal entitlement: the decision is taken by the independent Förderjury für Kurzfilmförderung, a five-member jury (quorate with three) that is not bound by instructions and meets up to twice a year (§§ 9, 14 (1), 15, 24 (1) of the Richtlinie). There is no first-come-first-served queue and no automatic points formula — what counts is the jury’s decision within the available budget. Children’s short films are not decided by this jury but by the Förderjury für Kinderfilme (§ 14 (1)); they are covered by the separate record ffa-jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kinderkurzfilm.
01The FFA's rule on Referenzfilme (prior qualifying films that establish eligibility) — the decisive access criterion: only those who produce short films and do not meet the application requirements of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film may apply to the FFA (§ 53 (1)). The FFA spells this out as follows: applicants must be able to evidence at least two feature-length films or short films as references, made in the three relevant Gewerke (creative departments) of screenplay, direction and production, which have had — or are suitable for — commercial theatrical, TV, streaming or festival exploitation („erfahren haben bzw. für diese geeignet sind“). What is decisive is that the two required reference films can be evidenced in at least two of the three Gewerke of screenplay, direction and production. Short films made without public funding or other relevant financing do not count as reference films. This rule is not in the Richtlinie but in the FAQ at ffa.de/jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kurzfilm.html and in the FFA's webinar slide deck (version of 13 August 2026); the slide deck puts it more narrowly — „zwei programmfüllende Filme oder Kurzfilme hergestellt haben, die mit relevanter Finanzierung entstanden sind und eine kommerzielle Auswertung erfahren haben“ (must already have had commercial exploitation) — than the FAQ, which also lets films merely suitable for such exploitation count. The FFA's wording leaves open whose films the references must be. It admits at least two readings: on one, the applicant personally must have two reference films that can be assigned to two Gewerke — in which case they can apply alone. On the other, the team foreseen for the project is what is assessed, so that two of the three Gewerke must each show two reference films — in which case a director without production references needs an experienced producer on board before submitting. The FFA does not decide this question publicly; settle it with the Antragsberatung (tel. 030 27577-157) before submitting, because it cannot be corrected after the deadline. „Programmfüllend“ (feature-length), by contrast, is defined: under § 3 (6) a film is programmfüllend if it has a running time of at least 79 minutes, or at least 59 minutes for Kinderfilme (children's films). What remains open is only whether there is any age limit on reference films and how the FFA measures „relevante Finanzierung“ (relevant financing) in an individual case — the Richtlinie lays down nothing on either point. (Not to be confused with the FFA's automatic Referenzfilmförderung Kurzfilm under the FFG: there, reference films are the basis of an entitlement to payment; here they are only proof of eligibility to apply.)
02
01Prior registration in the FFA-Serviceportal. Applications are made exclusively in digital form through the portal's application tool (§ 23 (2)). Applicants, authorised representatives, grantees and companies create an account there with master data — company name, seat and legal form, and the VAT identification number. Natural persons applying without a VAT identification number should clarify how to complete the master data with the portalservice beforehand. Activation and linking to existing projects can take several days: a new registration can no longer be completed in time for the 25 August 2026 deadline, so plan for the next date at the earliest. Technical support is available on the FFA hotline 030 27577-599 (Mon–Fri 9:00–15:00) or at portalservice@ffa.de; for questions of substance, the Antragsberatung: Julian Elsässer, Förderreferent, tel. 030 27577-157, elsaesser@ffa.de, and Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de. Julian Elsässer does not cover children's short films: they have their own Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm — Selay Esperling, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-420, esperling@ffa.de, and Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de — so Franziska Frenzel appears in both blocks.
02Content documents: a substantive covering letter, a short synopsis or logline of no more than 1,000 characters, a synopsis, where applicable details of any literary source with year of publication and German sales figures, the screenplay in German, and evidence of the film rights through the screenplay contract, film rights contract, option agreements and where relevant further contracts in the chain of title (Rechtekette — the unbroken chain of rights agreements from the underlying material to the producer). For experimental and animation projects with no screenplay in the conventional sense, clarify in advance with the Antragsberatung which document takes its place — a screenplay may not be supplemented or exchanged later.
03Cast and crew: details of the screenplay Gewerk including filmography, details of the director including a letter of intent and filmography, details of the cinematographer or of those principally responsible for the animation, details of the leading and supporting cast, a crew list, a cast list or casting proposals and where applicable a voice-cast list, the applicant's filmography, and where applicable details of co-producers including letter of intent, deal memo or contract and company profile.
By 25 August 2026Submission deadline — complete application in the FFA-ServiceportalA cut-off date. The FFA publishes no time of day; anyone who sends after 23:59 can withdraw the application without consequence and resubmit for the next session. Incomplete applications are not considered, and the Eigenanteil must be calculated correctly by this point (§ 23 (2); FFA FAQ). Without an existing portal account the date can no longer be met — activation takes several days. This deadline does not apply to children's short films, which use 1 September 2026 — see the separate record.
Roughly 2 to 3 weeks after submissionFormal check by the FFAThe FFA checks every application. Where changes are needed it comes back by e-mail with a deadline for making them in the application tool, and then re-checks the changes (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026).
At least 5 weeks before the sessionRelease to the juryOnly applications meeting all formal requirements are put to the jury. Around two weeks before the session there is also a two-day supplementary window for essential documents whose timely delivery was outside the applicant's control — screenplays may not be supplemented or exchanged in it; in addition, individual files may be supplied at short notice in justified exceptional cases (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026; FFA FAQ).
4–5 November 2026Jury sessionThe Förderjury für Kurzfilmförderung sits with five members and is quorate with three present; children's short films are decided by the Förderjury für Kinderfilme, sitting on 9–10 November 2026 (separate record). Sessions are not public, members are bound to secrecy, and a member with a conflict of interest is excluded from the discussion and decision on that project (§§ 14, 15, 17, 19).
No separate annual budget for short film funding is published; the jury-based cultural film funding of the federal government is financed from the federal budget and grants are expressly subject to the funds available (§ 24 (1); BKM). The volume can only be read off the session results: in 2025 the short film jury awarded €229,000 to six projects per the press release of 18 July 2025 (first session of 2025) and €300,000 to eight projects per the press release of 13 October 2025 (second session of 2025) — €529,000 for 14 short films in total. In 2026 the session of 22–23 April 2026 (press release of 22 May 2026) awarded €160,000 to four projects.
Talent film funding has not been part of this pot since 1 January 2026: it sits with the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, which is equipped with a budget of more than €9m for it and applies its own Richtlinie, in force since 1 January 2026. The Richtlinie für die jurybasierte kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes itself runs until 31 December 2028 (§ 75 (1)) — unlike the DFFF-Richtlinie, which expires on 31 December 2026, no new version is pending here.
Under the rules in force until 31 December 2025 the rate was roughly one application in ten: 72 applications and six grants per the press release of 18 July 2025 (first session of 2025), 71 applications and eight grants per the press release of 13 October 2025 (second session of 2025). In 2026 the picture changed: at the session of 22–23 April 2026 (press release of 22 May 2026), 26 applications competed for four grants, roughly one in six and a half. The FFA publishes no success rate, and the three published rounds cannot be added into one either: the two 2025 rounds fell in the period when talent films could still apply to the FFA, the 2026 round did not; the transitional provisions for that are § 75 (2) and (5), and § 75 (5) ties the suspension of § 52 sentence 4 and § 53 (1) only to the entry into force of the Kuratorium's new Talentfilm Richtlinie, naming no date — that this was 1 January 2026 comes from the FFA programme page and the Kuratorium.
For the rules that apply today, only the round of 22–23 April 2026 is informative — 4 of 26 applications, roughly one in six and a half. The figure blended across all three rounds (18 grants from 169 applications, about one in nine) mixes two incompatible regimes and understates a current applicant’s odds by roughly 31%; it appears here only to be expressly rejected. The fall of about two thirds in applications coincides with the transfer of talent film funding to the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film on 1 January 2026 and the reference-film rule that came with it — the FFA has published no explanation, and the connection is a plausible but unevidenced inference.
That talent films carried weight is clear in hindsight: at the second session of 2025 four of the eight funded projects were talent films, and at the first session of 2025 at least one. The range of funded forms is striking: the projects funded in 2025 and 2026 include animated films, documentary and fiction shorts, a film essay, an experimental film and hybrid works between documentary and fiction, among them one German-Indian and one German-French co-production. The FFA publishes a breakdown by gender for each session: of the 26 applications at the session of 22–23 April 2026, 11 involved a female writer, 11 a female director and 14 a female producer; of the four funded projects, two in each category.
The children's short film strand of the same funding is kept in a separate record (ffa-jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kinderkurzfilm): the same ceiling under § 69, but its own submission date of 1 September 2026, its own session on 9–10 November 2026, its own jury (Förderjury für Kinderfilme, § 14 (1)) and its own advice line. The Kuratorium junger deutscher Film is the direct alternative and, for first and second projects, usually the right address: since 1 January 2026 it has run the federal talent film funding, including short film production funding of up to €40,000 with a deadline of 23 September 2026 at 18:00. Anyone who meets the Kuratorium's application requirements cannot apply to the FFA (§ 53 (1)) — and vice versa; it does not follow, however, that every case is eligible at one of the two bodies. Within the same Richtlinie there are also treatment and screenplay funding (§§ 40 to 45), project development funding (§§ 46 to 50), production funding for feature-length fiction films of up to €1m (§ 67) and for documentaries of up to €500,000, or up to €1m in justified exceptional cases (§ 68), and distribution funding of up to €150,000 (§ 71). For short films already completed and successful at festivals there is in addition the FFA's automatic Referenzfilmförderung Kurzfilm under the FFG, as well as earmarked prize money from the BKM's Deutscher Kurzfilmpreis and the FFA's Short Tiger — both retrospective funds for a new project, not an alternative to applying here.
These notes stay in German on purpose: they quote the conflicting sources word for word, and a caveat is the first thing lost in translation.
01BLOCKIEREND – am 26.08.2026 erneut prüfen, bevor dieser Datensatz weiter ausgeliefert wird. Die Einreichfrist läuft am 25.08.2026 ab; ab dem 26.08.2026 liegt sie in der Vergangenheit. Die App rechnet den Countdown aus date, sodass der Datensatz ohne Eingriff stillschweigend als abgelaufen erscheint, ohne dass ein Status das erklärt. Für 2027 hat die FFA (Stand 24.08.2026) keine Termine der jurybasierten kulturellen Filmförderung veröffentlicht, es gibt also keinen Termin, auf den umgestellt werden könnte. Am 26.08.2026 ist deshalb zu entscheiden und hier zu dokumentieren: entweder ein neuer veröffentlichter Termin – dann date, deadline.date, deadline.status* und timeline aktualisieren – oder kein Termin, dann deadline.type, deadline.confidence und deadline.status* entsprechend setzen und den Datensatz ausdrücklich als vorübergehend ohne Einreichtermin kennzeichnen. Das ist kein Routineeintrag: Ohne diese Prüfung ist der Datensatz ab dem 26.08.2026 falsch.
02Widerspruch zur Beihilfeintensität: § 21 Abs. 1 der Richtlinie (Tier 1) lässt bei schwierigen audiovisuellen Werken – Kurzfilme sind nach § 3 Abs. 8 ausdrücklich solche – eine Erhöhung der Beihilfeintensität „auf 100 % der beihilfefähigen Kosten“ zu. Die FFA nennt an zwei Stellen 95 %: in den FAQ auf ffa.de/jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kurzfilm.html („Bei schwierigen audiovisuellen Werken … darf die Beihilfeintensität bis zu 95% betragen“) und im Webinar-Foliensatz Stand 13.08.2026 (beide Tier 2). Der Datensatz nennt beide Zahlen und folgt für die Rechtslage der Richtlinie, weist im Fließtext aber 95 % als operative Obergrenze aus, weil der nach § 56 Abs. 2 zwingende Eigenanteil von 5 % keine Fördermittel enthalten darf. Vor einer Finanzierungsplanung an der Obergrenze ist das im Beratungsgespräch zu klären.
03Zurechnung der Referenzfilme ungeklärt: Die FFA sagt nicht, auf wen die zwei Referenzfilme entfallen müssen. Der Wortlaut „in mindestens zwei der drei Gewerke Buch, Regie und Produktion“ lässt sowohl die Lesart zu, dass die antragstellende Person selbst zwei Referenzfilme in zwei Gewerken vorweisen muss, als auch die, dass das Projektteam betrachtet wird und zwei Gewerke je zwei Referenzfilme beibringen müssen. Die beiden Lesarten führen zu gegensätzlichem Handeln (allein einreichen vs. vor der Frist eine erfahrene Produktion an Bord holen). Der Datensatz entscheidet die Frage nicht und weist sie in eligibilityDe/En[0] als offen aus. Ebenfalls unveröffentlicht: ob es eine zeitliche Grenze für Referenzfilme gibt und wie die FFA „relevante Finanzierung“ im Einzelfall bemisst. („Programmfüllend“ ist dagegen in § 3 Abs. 6 definiert – mindestens 79 Minuten, bei Kinderfilmen mindestens 59 Minuten – und wird im Datensatz mit dieser Fundstelle genannt.) Mit der Antragsberatung der FFA (Tel. 030 27577-157) zu klären und danach hier nachzutragen.
Payment is made in instalments, as needed and in step with the progress of the project; 10% of the grant is paid only after the Verwendungsnachweis (final accounting proof) has been audited, after the film has an FSK classification (FSK: the German film industry's age-rating body) under § 14 (2) no. 1, 2 or 3 of the Jugendschutzgesetz, and after a viewing copy has been submitted (§ 58 (5)). For grants below €50,000, funds drawn must be spent within eight weeks at the latest (§ 58 (3)). There is no audit fee: short films are assessed internally by the FFA, and an external final-cost auditor is provided for only in feature-length production funding (§ 61; FFA FAQ).
Anyone without those references usually belongs at the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film: since 1 January 2026 applications for Talentkurzfilme (talent short films) must be made there. Under the FFA's definition a Talentfilm is a first or second project, assessed across the Gewerke of screenplay, direction and production on a two-of-three rule; all authorship contributions are considered, but in production only the person with majority production responsibility (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026). The Kuratorium's short film production funding is likewise up to €40,000; its deadline closes on 23 September 2026 at 18:00. The two routes do not, however, fit together without a gap: the Kuratorium tests whether this is a first or second project, the FFA tests two reference films made with relevant financing. Anyone already working on a third project but able to show only self-financed short films may meet neither set of requirements. In that case, ask both bodies before submitting — the published material does not support an assurance that every case belongs somewhere.
03The applicant must be the Hersteller (producer) within the meaning of the Richtlinie, that is, the person or company bearing responsibility for carrying out the film project (§ 3 (2), § 53 (1)). Applying is expressly possible both as a legal entity and as a natural person; no production company is needed. That eases the legal form only, not the way in: the reference-film rule above applies to individuals exactly as it does to companies. Where several parties in a domestic or international co-production meet the requirements, only one of them may file the application (§ 53 (2)).
04Where you must be based, and the rights: the applicant must be resident in Germany or have their registered office there. If the seat is in another EU member state, another state party to the EEA Agreement or Switzerland, a branch in Germany is required; the Richtlinie requires it as a condition of applying, not merely by the time of payout (§ 23 (1)). A further hard condition applies: the applicant must hold the rights in the underlying material (FFA FAQ, „Weitere Voraussetzungen“).
05Length: a running time of no more than 30 minutes (§ 3 (7)). The Richtlinie sets no minimum length. Nor is there any minimum or maximum total production cost — unlike the feature funding in the same Richtlinie, which is in principle aimed at projects with total production costs of up to €6m (fiction) or €5m (documentary).
06Erhebliche deutsche kulturelle Prägung (substantial German cultural character) — all four criteria in § 3 (3) must be met: first, German as the original language, or a director who is a German national, permanently resident in Germany, or a national of an EU, EEA or Swiss state; second, at least one lead producer with the same characteristics; third, a financial participation by the Germany-based producers that is at least as large as the largest participation of a foreign producer, or as the largest combined participation of foreign producers based in the same country; fourth, the regular theatrical first release taking place in Germany. It follows from the third criterion that minority co-productions are excluded (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026). For short films the fourth criterion is softened: a festival release counts as equivalent to public screening in German cinemas (§ 70).
07An Eigenanteil (own contribution to the financing) of at least 5% of the costs recognised by the FFA (§ 56 (2)); for international projects the German financing share is the basis of that calculation (FFA FAQ). Applicants without cash can cover the Eigenanteil through recognised Rückstellungen (deferrals — fees agreed to be paid later out of the project's own funds) for their own work: creative producing, line producing, direction, a leading role, cinematography, or exploitation rights in their own works. Cash, borrowed and co-financing funds and licences from distributors, world sales agents or broadcasters also count. Not counting towards it are funding of any kind — federal, Land, reference and foundation money — other deferrals, and Beistellungen (contributions in kind). Where a public-service broadcaster participates with a stated co-production share, that share may be deducted from the calculation base (FFA FAQ). In concrete terms: on recognised costs of €50,000, at least €2,500 must come from sources that are not funding; a financing plan of €40,000 FFA funding plus €10,000 of Land funding yields an Eigenanteil of zero. An Eigenanteil miscalculated at the deadline cannot be put right afterwards; if it thereby falls below 5%, that as a rule means exclusion from the competition. Cash has to be evidenced by the submission deadline through a statement for the project account (see the documents list), so that account must be open before you apply.
08No Maßnahmenbeginn (start of the funded activity) before the Zuwendungsbescheid: shooting or animation work may only begin once the Zuwendungsbescheid (the formal funding decision) has been issued (§ 54 (2)); the FFA puts it more strictly, saying work must in principle not begin before the application either. A vorzeitiger Maßnahmenbeginn (approval to start early) is possible only in a justified exceptional case and only after the jury has given a funding commitment — so not at all before the session. It creates no entitlement to funding; starting is at the applicant's own risk (FFA FAQ). For a submission to the 25 August 2026 deadline this means in practice: jury session on 4–5 November 2026, notification one to two days later, Zuwendungsbescheid roughly two to three weeks after that — so the earliest realistic Maßnahmenbeginn is late November or early December 2026, and even that only if the total financing is secured and evidenced by then (§ 54 (1)). Anyone who has planned for autumn 2026 must replan.
09University projects are excluded: projects to be financed with university funds — for example as exercise films or graduation films — cannot be funded (§ 52). Emerging-talent projects are eligible only where they are realised in a professional production environment (§ 52 sentence 3).
10Accessible version: every final version of the film must be produced in an accessible version, and the film must be made accessible in that version at every domestic exploitation stage by the time of its first release there — meaning a fully subtitled version for people with a hearing impairment and an audio description for people with a visual impairment. The costs of producing and providing access, for example through an app, are recognised and should be budgeted. On a reasoned request the FFA may allow an exception where an overall assessment of the project justifies it (§ 32).
11German-language version: at least one final version must carry cinema-quality German subtitles or — apart from dialogue for which the screenplay provides another language — be shot or dubbed in German (§ 27). All application documents must be submitted in German in any case (§ 23 (3)).
12Content exclusions: films with unconstitutional or unlawful content, films with a pornographic or violence-glorifying focus, and films that manifestly offend religious feelings gravely and inappropriately are not eligible (§ 26).
13State aid exclusions: undertakings that have not complied with a European Commission recovery order, and undertakings in difficulty, may not receive funding (§ 21 (2)).
14It cannot be combined with the Talentförderung of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film; with other funding, short film funding can be combined (FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026). On aid intensity the Richtlinie and the FFA's statements diverge: § 21 (1) allows up to 100% of eligible costs for difficult audiovisual works — and short films are expressly such works under § 3 (8) — whereas the FFA states 95%. For a short-film application 95% is the operative ceiling: the mandatory Eigenanteil of at least 5% may contain no funding money, so 95% aid plus 5% Eigenanteil close the financing exactly. Non-repayable grants for project, material or screenplay development are entered in the financing plan and their costs in the film's overall budget, and so count towards the aid intensity; Eurimages and Creative Europe, as supranational funding, do not count (FFA FAQ).
15Selection criteria: the Richtlinie names its selection criteria — artistic quality, feasibility, expected distribution, and the nature and scale of the Eigenanteil — expressly only „hinsichtlich programmfüllender Spiel-, Kinder- und Dokumentarfilme“ (in respect of feature-length fiction, children's and documentary films) in § 52 sentences 1 and 2. For short films, the yardstick is therefore the funding aims of § 1 — artistic and creative quality, innovative force, visibility at home and abroad — and the word „herausragend“ (outstanding), which § 51 (1) carries in the wording „herausragender programmfüllender Spiel-, Kinder- und Dokumentarfilmvorhaben sowie Kurzfilme und Kinderkurzfilme“; the shorter phrase „herausragende Kurzfilme“ is not a quotation from § 51 (1) but the wording of the FFA programme page. The jury decides independently and free of instructions (§ 9).
16A rejection may be challenged by Widerspruch (formal administrative objection), decided by the same jury at a future session (§ 36). The formal objection must be lodged within one month of notification; the application may then be revised and resubmitted for one of the regular deadlines — and texts, files and the screenplay may be exchanged in the process. If the application is not resubmitted within two years of the rejection, the jury decides on the file as it stands (FFA FAQ).
04Other information: the shooting period and locations plus the expected completion date, and a statement from the production including exploitation prospects. Optional additions are writer's and director's statements, moodboards, teasers, trailers and links to reference films. The links to reference films are how the reference-film rule can be evidenced in practice.
05An industry-standard budget following the prescribed scheme, broken down by cost areas from rights and script through fees, studio, design and equipment, travel and transport, film stock and processing, post-production, insurance, general costs and financing costs, to Handlungskosten (production overheads), contingency reserve and trustee fee. Costs are in principle net of VAT; anyone not entitled to deduct input VAT submits a statement to that effect and may exceptionally budget gross. Deferrals and contributions in kind must be marked as such. According to the FFA, the items most often forgotten are the cost of the DCDM (Digital Cinema Distribution Master) for the Bundesarchiv, the FSK classification fee and the bank charges on the project account; travel in private vehicles must be accounted for through a mileage log at €0.30 per kilometre, and fuel receipts for private vehicles are not accepted.
06A financing plan listing every financing component and its amount, with evidence of financing where already available. The current status of each component must be shown; for funding applied for or still to be applied for, the submission and session dates must be given. The foreign financing share must be listed separately by co-production country and also stated as a percentage. Development funding granted to writers is not listed, whereas project development paid out as a grant is. The total of the financing plan and the total production costs in the budget must agree to the cent.
07Evidence of cash funds through a proper bank statement for the project account — not the general business account — or a bank confirmation. Digital transaction views from online banking are not accepted, as they are not legally binding information.
08A separate project account: a dedicated project account in the grantee's name must be set up for administering the grant; a current account suffices, call-money accounts are not permitted. For co-productions a joint account may be permissible, with evidence required. The account may not be closed until the audit of the Verwendungsnachweis (final accounting proof) is complete. Bank charges on it are eligible costs.
09Submission formalities: all documents must be submitted in German (§ 23 (3)). Only write-protected PDF files may be uploaded as a rule; only by way of exception, for instance for the Verwendungsnachweis, is an additional Excel file permitted. The application must be complete and sent by the deadline — incomplete applications cannot be considered (§ 23 (2)).
10Not compulsory but recommended: attending one of the FFA's group online consultations (webinars via Microsoft Teams), which answer general and technical questions — expressly not project-specific content, for data protection reasons. For individual advice the FFA's Antragsberatung is available (Julian Elsässer, Förderreferent, tel. 030 27577-157, elsaesser@ffa.de, and Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de); one-to-one application consultations are possible up to two weeks before the relevant deadline at the latest — for 25 August 2026 that window closed on 11 August 2026. Here too: children's short films are handled by the Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm — Selay Esperling, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-420, esperling@ffa.de, and Franziska Frenzel, Förderreferentin, tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de.
11To be submitted only after a positive decision but before the Zuwendungsbescheid: a provisional project certificate from the Bundesamt für Wirtschaft, Außenhandel und Klimaschutz (BAFA) under §§ 50 f. FFG; this does not apply where there are manifestly no concerns (§ 57 sentence 2). The final BAFA certificate must be submitted before the final instalment is paid (§ 57). The final instalment also requires the audited Verwendungsnachweis, an FSK certificate with a theatrical classification, and a viewing copy (§ 58 (5)).
1 to 2 days after the session, decision letter roughly 2 to 3 weeks laterNotification of the decision, then funding commitment or rejectionThe FFA notifies in writing, and a rejection must give reasons (§ 29 (1)). The decision is placed in the digital inbox of the FFA-Serviceportal, remains available there for ten days and counts as notified one day after it is retrieved; if it is not retrieved it is posted, and counts as notified four days after posting. The one-month period for lodging a Widerspruch (formal objection) runs from notification (FFA FAQ; FFA webinar, version of 13 August 2026). The funding commitment is not yet a payment: it entitles the applicant neither to a Maßnahmenbeginn (start of the funded activity) nor to draw funds — both require the Zuwendungsbescheid, which is issued only once the total financing has been evidenced as secured (§ 54 (1) and (2)).
Within 12 months of the funding commitmentEvidence that the financing is securedThe FFA may give a funding commitment as soon as the sources named in the financing plan appear plausible. The commitment lapses if evidence that the financing is secured is not produced within twelve months, or if the conditions cease to be met; in justified exceptional cases the FFA may extend the period at most twice by up to twelve months each, and in specially justified cases the board may extend it one final time beyond that (§ 54 (1)).
After the Zuwendungsbescheid has been issuedMaßnahmenbeginn (start of the funded activity) and the funding periodShooting or animation work may only begin after this point (§ 54 (2)). Project costs are in principle eligible only from the date of the Zuwendungsbescheid — the start of the Bewilligungszeitraum (funding period) — or from the date of an approved vorzeitiger Maßnahmenbeginn (early start) (§ 30; FFA FAQ). By way of exception, § 54 (3) allows costs arising before the funding period to be taken into account in so far as they are necessary to prepare the application and the funded activity and cannot be assigned to a separable preparatory measure. The project must be completed to the Nullkopie (first answer print) within the period set in the decision; the FFA may extend that twice, and the board further in specially justified cases (§ 54 (4)).
Within 9 months of the end of the funding period at the latest; archive copy within 12 months of the first public screening at the latestFinal accounting proof, final instalment and archive copyThe FFA audits the Verwendungsnachweis itself; for short films there is no external final-cost auditor and therefore no audit fee (§ 61; FFA FAQ). The audit includes the FFA's acceptance of the film on the basis of a submitted copy. The last 10% of the grant is paid only after that audit, after the film has an FSK classification under § 14 (2) no. 1, 2 or 3 of the Jugendschutzgesetz, and after a viewing copy has been submitted (§ 58 (5)). A technically sound analogue or uncompressed digital copy in an archivable format must be transferred to the Bundesarchiv free of charge (§ 64); the FFA must also be informed without delay of the release title, theatrical release date, festival participations, nominations and prizes (§ 63).
04Die Referenzregel (zwei Referenzfilme in zwei von drei Gewerken) steht nicht in der Richtlinie. Sie ist die Verwaltungspraxis der FFA zur Abgrenzung nach § 53 Abs. 1 und findet sich nur in den FAQ der Programmseite und im Webinar-Foliensatz (beide Tier 2). Beide Fassungen weichen voneinander ab: Die FAQ lassen genügen, dass die Referenzfilme eine kommerzielle Kino-, TV-, Streaming- oder Festivalauswertung erfahren haben „bzw. für diese geeignet sind“; der Foliensatz vom 13.08.2026 verlangt, dass sie „eine kommerzielle Auswertung erfahren haben“. Der Datensatz gibt beide Formulierungen im deutschen Wortlaut wieder und weist die Abweichung aus. Ungeklärt bleibt auch, wie „relevante Finanzierung“ von der FFA im Einzelfall bemessen wird.
05Lücke zwischen FFA und Kuratorium: Das Kuratorium prüft das erste oder zweite Projekt, die FFA zwei Referenzfilme mit relevanter Finanzierung. Wer am dritten Projekt arbeitet und nur selbstfinanzierte Kurzfilme vorweisen kann, erfüllt möglicherweise keine der beiden Voraussetzungen. Weder die FFA noch das Kuratorium äußern sich veröffentlicht zu diesem Fall; der Datensatz benennt die Lücke, statt eine Weiterleitung zu versprechen. Bei beiden Häusern nachzufragen.
06Sitzungstermine versus Pressemitteilungsdaten: Die FFA veröffentlicht die Termine ihrer Kurzfilmsitzungen nicht nur im Webinar-Foliensatz (Stand 13.08.2026, S. 4: „3. Fördersitzung Kurzfilm: 22./23.04.2026“) und auf der Seite „Einreich- und Sitzungstermine“, sondern auch in den Pressemitteilungen selbst: Die Pressemitteilung vom 13.10.2025 kündigt an, die Sitzung finde „am 22. und 23. April 2026 …, Einreichfrist ist der 10. Februar“ statt, und die Pressemitteilung vom 22.05.2026 kündigt an: „Die zweite Fördersitzung der Jury für Kurzfilm findet am 4. und 5. November 2026 statt, Einreichfrist ist der 25. August.“ Der Einreichtermin dieses Datensatzes ist damit zweifach unabhängig veröffentlicht – Terminseite und Pressemitteilung –, und die Pressemitteilungen sind eine zweite Quelle für Sitzungs- und Einreichtermine, nicht nur für Ergebnisse. Die Zahlen der beiden Runden 2025 sind in diesem Datensatz den Pressemitteilungen vom 18.07.2025 (erste Sitzung 2025) und vom 13.10.2025 (zweite Sitzung 2025) zugeordnet, also dem Datum der Veröffentlichung. Bei künftigen Prüfungen Terminseite, Foliensatz und Pressemitteilungen gegeneinander abgleichen, statt eine der drei Quellen zu übergehen.
07Aufteilung in zwei Datensätze (24.08.2026): Der Kinderkurzfilmstrang wird seither in einem eigenen Datensatz geführt (ffa-jurybasierte-produktionsfoerderung-kinderkurzfilm), weil die App den Countdown aus date rechnet – ein Kinderkurzfilm-Antrag hätte hier am 26.08.2026 als abgelaufen gelesen, obwohl der eigene Termin am 01.09.2026 vor der Förderjury für Kinderfilme (§ 14 Abs. 1) noch offen war. Dieser Datensatz führt nur den allgemeinen Kurzfilmstrang: date 25.08.2026, Sitzung 04./05.11.2026, Antragsberatung (Julian Elsässer, Tel. 030 27577-157, elsaesser@ffa.de, und Franziska Frenzel, Tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de). Der Kinderkurzfilm-Datensatz führt den 01.09.2026, die Sitzung am 09./10.11.2026 und die Antragsberatung Kinderkurzfilm (Selay Esperling, Tel. 030 27577-420, esperling@ffa.de, und Franziska Frenzel, Tel. 030 27577-151, frenzel@ffa.de). Beide verweisen über context.relatedProgrammeIds aufeinander und sind bei Terminänderungen gemeinsam zu pflegen.
08Uhrzeit der Frist nicht veröffentlicht: Die FFA nennt für den Einreichtermin keine Uhrzeit. Bekannt ist nur die Rückzieh-Regel („Anträge, die nach 23:59 Uhr der jeweiligen Einreichfrist eingehen, können folgenlos zurückgezogen und zur nächsten Sitzung neu eingereicht werden“). Der Datensatz gibt deshalb keine Uhrzeit als Frist an. Sobald die FFA eine nennt, hier nachtragen.
09Keine Termine für 2027: Die Seite „Einreich- und Sitzungstermine“ der FFA führt am 24.08.2026 für die jurybasierte kulturelle Filmförderung ausschließlich Termine des Jahres 2026; sie weist lediglich darauf hin, dass über zusätzliche Sitzungen rechtzeitig informiert würde. Nach § 15 Abs. 2 tagt die Kurzfilmjury bis zu zweimal im Jahr, und beide Einreichtermine 2026 (10.02. und 25.08.) sind ausgeschöpft; ein dritter Termin für 2026 ist damit nicht ausgeschlossen, aber nicht veröffentlicht. Sobald die FFA die Termine für 2027 veröffentlicht, sind date, deadline und timeline zu aktualisieren. Wegen des Fristablaufs am 25.08.2026 ist dieser Eintrag ab dem 26.08.2026 vorrangig erneut zu prüfen.
10App-Problem, nicht Datenproblem: amountLabel und amountLabelEn werden von der App derzeit nicht gerendert. Der View-Typ wählt nur zwischen short | typeLabel | typeId | max | unbounded, sodass die Leserin eine aus amountMin/amountMax abgeleitete Zahl sieht – hier „bis 40.000 €“ – und die im Label formulierten Vorbehalte (keine veröffentlichte Erfolgsquote, 4 von 26 Anträgen in der einzigen vergleichbaren Runde, voller Betrag nur für geförderte Projekte) sie nie erreichen. Das betrifft den gesamten Datenbestand; die ehrliche Korrektur liegt in der App, nicht in den Daten. amountMin bleibt null – eine erfundene Untergrenze wäre keine Lösung.
11Auswahlkriterien für Kurzfilme: § 52 Satz 1 und 2 benennen künstlerische Qualität, Realisierbarkeit, zu erwartende Verbreitung sowie Art und Umfang des Eigenanteils ausdrücklich nur „hinsichtlich programmfüllender Spiel-, Kinder- und Dokumentarfilme“. Für Kurzfilme nennt die Richtlinie damit keine eigenen Auswahlkriterien; der Datensatz stützt sich stattdessen auf § 1 (Förderziele) und auf das Merkmal „herausragend“ in § 51 Abs. 1, dessen Wortlaut „herausragender programmfüllender Spiel-, Kinder- und Dokumentarfilmvorhaben sowie Kurzfilme und Kinderkurzfilme“ lautet; die kürzere Wendung „herausragende Kurzfilme“ ist nicht § 51 Abs. 1 entnommen, sondern der FFA-Programmseite, und wird nur mit dieser Zuordnung geführt (auch in sourceTerms.format). Der Datensatz weist das in eligibilityDe/En aus. Ob die FFA § 52 in der Praxis dennoch auf Kurzfilme anwendet, ist nicht veröffentlicht.
12Rechtsgrundlage des Eigenanteils uneinheitlich zitiert: Die Richtlinie verweist in § 56 Abs. 2 auf § 17 der Richtlinie D.2 für Referenzfilmförderung zum FFG, die FFA-FAQ auf „FFG D.1 § 33 Eigenanteil“ und der Webinar-Foliensatz vom 13.08.2026 auf „§ 77 FFG sowie § 31 der D.2 Richtlinie zum FFG“. Die Mindesthöhe von 5 % ist in allen drei Quellen identisch; der Datensatz nennt daher nur diese und die Fundstelle der Richtlinie. Dass bei internationalen Projekten der deutsche Finanzierungsanteil die Berechnungsgrundlage ist, steht nur in den FAQ (Tier 2), nicht in § 56 Abs. 2. Welche Fassung der D.2-Richtlinie derzeit gilt, ist nicht geprüft.
13Rückgang der Antragszahlen: Der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Rückgang von 71 Anträgen (Pressemitteilung vom 13.10.2025) auf 26 Anträge (Pressemitteilung vom 22.05.2026) und dem Übergang der Talentfilmförderung an das Kuratorium zum 01.01.2026 ist nicht von der FFA erklärt worden. Der Datensatz nennt beide Zahlen als Fakten und kennzeichnet die Verknüpfung ausdrücklich als naheliegende, aber unbelegte Schlussfolgerung.
14Kein veröffentlichter Jahresetat: Die FFA veröffentlicht kein Fördervolumen für den Kurzfilmstrang, nur die Sitzungsergebnisse. Ob die 160.000 € der Sitzung vom 22./23.04.2026 ein knapperes Budget oder schlicht weniger überzeugende Anträge widerspiegeln, lässt sich aus den veröffentlichten Angaben nicht entscheiden.
15Programmname: Der Datensatz führt „Jurybasierte kulturelle Produktionsförderung für Kurzfilme“ nach der Überschrift der FFA-Programmseite. Die Navigation derselben Seite und die Terminübersicht schreiben „Jurybasierte Produktionsförderung Kurzfilm“, die Richtlinie „Produktionsförderung für Kurzfilme“ (§ 2 Abs. 1 Buchstabe b). Gegebenenfalls an die spätere Selbstbezeichnung der FFA angleichen.
16experimentalfilm bewusst noch nicht gesetzt: formats führt kurzfilm, dokumentarfilm und animationsfilm. Der Wert experimentalfilm wäre für dieses Programm sachlich verdient – die Richtlinie macht Experimentalfilme zum Fördergegenstand der Kurzfilmförderung (§ 2 Abs. 1: „…schließt insbesondere auch Animations- und Experimentalfilme sowie hybride Formen der vorgenannten Filmgattungen ein“; § 51 Abs. 1 Satz 2: „Die Förderung schließt auch Animations- und Experimentalfilme sowie hybride Formen ein.“; § 3 Abs. 8 zählt Experimentalfilme zu den schwierigen audiovisuellen Werken; § 66 nimmt „Kurz- und Experimentalfilmproduktionen“ ausdrücklich aus), und in der mit Pressemitteilung vom 18.07.2025 bekannt gegebenen Runde wurde ein Experimentalfilm gefördert. Der Wert wird trotzdem noch nicht vergeben, weil er als Filterknopf mit einem einzigen Programm dahinter live ginge: Eine Filterschaltfläche „Experimentalfilm“ mit genau einem Treffer würde der Leserin sagen, dass nur ein einziger deutscher Fördertopf Experimentalfilme unterstützt, was falsch ist. Der Wortlaut der Förderin bleibt in sourceTerms.format erhalten, damit ein späterer Lauf an dieses Vokabular anschließen kann, statt einen zweiten Wert zu erfinden. Vorgesehen ist, den Bestand in einem Check-Lauf auf Experimentalfilm-Abdeckung durchzusehen und den Wert dort für alle betroffenen Datensätze zugleich zu vergeben – dieser hier eingeschlossen; das Re-Tagging läuft durch die Prüfstufen des Check-Laufs. Bis dahin deckt die veröffentlichte Beschreibung von kurzfilm Experimental- und hybride Kurzformen mit ab. Wird experimentalfilm später gesetzt, ist zugleich descriptionDe/En von kurzfilm anzugleichen, damit sich die beiden Werte nicht widersprechen.
17Nicht geprüft: die technischen Spezifikationen des Bundesarchivs für die archivfähige Kopie (§ 64), das BKM-Merkblatt Honoraruntergrenzen in der jeweils geltenden Fassung, die Fundstelle des vorgegebenen Kalkulationsschemas (Antragstool oder Programmseite), die konkrete Handhabung der Pflichtregistrierung nach § 65 bei Kurzfilmen ohne Kinoauswertung sowie die Frage, ob die FFA für 2026 zusätzliche Kurzfilmsitzungen ansetzt.
18Erfolgsquote nicht konstruieren: Frühere Fassungen dieses Datensatzes nannten in amountLabel und summaryDe/En[0] „rund jeder neunte Antrag“ (18 Förderungen bei 169 Anträgen). Diese Zahl ist eine Summe aus drei Pressemitteilungen über den Regimewechsel zum 01.01.2026 hinweg und keine von der FFA veröffentlichte Quote; die Runden 2025 liefen noch mit Talentfilmen im Bewerberfeld. Unter den heute geltenden Regeln ist allein die Runde vom 22./23.04.2026 vergleichbar (4 von 26). Bei künftigen Prüfungen keine neue Mischquote bilden, sondern die einzelnen Runden nennen.
Only the funder's guideline in its currently valid version and the institution's own statements are binding. This page summarises; it replaces neither the guideline nor the advisory call.