The German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) is a programme for a small number of very large projects: roughly 26 approvals a year, with entry thresholds that rule out small and mid-sized budgets from the outset. Films need total production costs of at least €25m (§ 5.2 (1)); fiction series need at least €7.2m per season (§ 6.2 (1)). If your budget is below that, you cannot become eligible here — that is the first figure to check before reading anything else. The GMPF also funds no theatrical films, no short films and no individuals: only a production company that has already made a programmfüllend (programme-length — it meets the minimum running time the Richtlinie sets) film or series in the past seven years can apply, and that reference work must actually have been released. Release of the project applied for, on German television or on a video-on-demand service accessible from Germany, is a condition of funding, and the FFA's document list requires an Auswertungsvertrag (exploitation contract) to evidence it. Documentary projects are in practice viable only as a series; a stand-alone documentary film does not reach the €25m. What is funded is the making of high-budget series and of films that are neither intended nor suitable for a first release in cinemas — that is, high-end series and television or streaming films — with a non-repayable grant of up to 30% of eligible German production costs. The legal basis is the BKM's Richtlinie „German Motion Picture Fund“, in force from 1 January 2026; the awarding and administering authority (Bewilligungs- und Abwicklungsbehörde) is the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) in Berlin, acting under the legal and technical supervision of the BKM (§ 1 (3)). The GMPF is thus the counterpart to DFFF I, which provides the same 30% funding rate for theatrical films: what gets its first release in cinemas belongs to the DFFF, everything else to the GMPF.
Access is deliberately built around large budgets, and it excludes most projects through entry thresholds rather than through an assessment of their merits. Fiction series need total production costs of at least €30,000 per minute, or alternatively at least €1.2m per episode and €7.2m per season; documentary series at least €9,000 per minute, or alternatively €360,000 per episode and €1.65m per season, with a floor of €7,000 per minute (§ 6.2). For films the threshold is total production costs of at least €25m (§ 5.2 (1)) — realistically only large international streaming productions. Content is not judged by a panel but by the kultureller Eigenschaftstest — a cultural points test scoring cultural content, creative talent and production activity — in Annexes 1 to 3: 40 points for fiction films and series, 28 for pure animation, 23 for documentary films and series (§ 4.5).
Applicants must be producers with their residence or registered office in Germany, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland who have produced at least one programme-length film or series within the past seven years, and that reference work must actually have been released (§ 3 (4) and (6)). Broadcasters and video-on-demand providers are not themselves eligible to apply (§ 3 (3)); where a German broadcaster co-finances a series, its share may not exceed 60%, or 70% where the series is not shot in German (§ 6.1 (2)). Submission is rolling rather than tied to cut-off dates, but the application must be filed at the latest six weeks before Drehbeginn (the first day of principal photography, § 8.1 (2)), and shooting may not begin until the Zuwendungsbescheid (formal funding decision) has been issued (§ 4.3). The money is capped: on 20 August 2026 the FFA closed intake for projects shooting in 2026 because the application volume was exhausted. For projects shooting in 2027 the FFA intends to reopen intake from November 2026, expected but not fixed; no date has been published.
Only the GMPF-Richtlinie as amended from time to time is binding; the version described here is limited to 31 December 2026 under § 12 (1), and as at 24 August 2026 no successor version had been published. The funding rate, the ceilings and every threshold in this record are therefore provisional for projects shooting in 2027. Everything set out here serves as orientation and replaces neither the Richtlinie nor the Antragsgespräch (advisory call) with the FFA's GMPF team, which is mandatory before any submission in any case.
Not a confirmed date — and the FFA is accepting no applications at present. The 1 November 2026 held here stands for the expected reopening of intake, not for a deadline. No reopening date for projects shooting in 2027 has been published: on 11 August 2026 the FFA states that intake will open „frühestens ab November 2026“ (at the earliest from November 2026) and will be „rechtzeitig von der FFA bekannt gegeben“ (announced by the FFA in good time); on 20 August 2026 the GMPF programme page says applications can be filed „voraussichtlich ab November“ (expected from November) through the FFA-Serviceportal, and that the FFA „wird schnellstmöglich informieren“ (will provide information as soon as possible) on the 2027 submission procedure.
The 1 November 2026 is therefore not a date but a sort key — the earliest possible day of the month the FFA named. No shooting schedule should be planned around it. Until intake reopens no submission is possible.
The FFA's own Einreich- und Sitzungstermine (submission and committee dates) page does not list the GMPF at all. Closed: since 20 August 2026 the FFA has accepted no GMPF applications for projects shooting in 2026. That exhausted the last remaining application volume of €30m for DFFF and GMPF combined; in the nine days between 11 August 2026 and 20 August 2026 the FFA took in 13 applications in total, three of them for the GMPF — two fiction series and one documentary series.
Until intake reopens there is nothing to submit. Only two things are worth doing now: register in the FFA-Serviceportal, because activating a new account takes a few working days, and watch the GMPF programme page. Submissions for projects shooting in 2027 are expected to be possible again from November 2026, then through the FFA-Serviceportal; the FFA has published no date.
The GMPF-Richtlinie now in force is limited to 31 December 2026 under § 12 (1), and as at 24 August 2026 no successor version has been published, neither on ffa.de/gmpf-richtlinie.html nor by the BKM. For one group of applicants the FFA has already answered this: the 20 August 2026 update on the GMPF programme page says that „angenommene Anträge mit vorzeitigem Maßnahmenbeginn, die in diesem Jahr nicht mehr vollständig werden, können 2027 nach den derzeit geltenden Regularien beschieden werden“ (accepted applications with an approved early start of work that do not become complete this year may be decided in 2027 under the rules currently in force). That is a „können“ (may) and it covers only that group expressly.
What remains open is which version governs an application newly filed in November or December 2026 that only becomes complete in 2027 — the transitional rule in § 11 does not help, since it covers only applications received before this Richtlinie came into force. For the restricted 2026 intake the FFA additionally required, from 11 August 2026, that GMPF applicants hold a contract for „Auswertung bei einem deutschen Mediendienstprogrammanbieter“ (the FFA's wording — release with a German broadcaster or on-demand service) and that an Antragsgespräch had taken place before submission; whether those requirements carry over into the 2027 submission procedure is not confirmed.
Rolling submission with no cut-off date, but only inside an annual application window. The FFA states on the programme page: „Für den GMPF gibt es keine Antragsfristen, Sie können Ihr Projekt laufend bei uns einreichen“ (the GMPF has no application deadlines; you can submit your project on a rolling basis). While the window is open a project may be submitted at any time; once the year's application volume is exhausted the FFA closes intake — currently closed, with reopening for projects shooting in 2027 expected from November 2026, no date published.
Two rules interlock and must be read together: the application must be filed at the latest six weeks before Drehbeginn (the first day of principal photography), and applying after shooting has started is excluded (§ 8.1 (2)) — and shooting or animation work may not begin until the Zuwendungsbescheid (formal funding decision) has been issued (§ 4.3). The six weeks are therefore a minimum gap, not a promise about how long the FFA takes; the FFA publishes no standard processing time. Anyone who has to shoot before the decision needs the FFA's prior consent to a vorzeitiger Maßnahmenbeginn (an approved early start of work); it must be applied for separately, is at the FFA's discretion and creates no entitlement to the funding.
The FFA board may depart from the six-week rule in justified exceptional cases. Before submitting, an Antragsgespräch (advisory call) with the FFA's GMPF team is a mandatory precondition; it is requested at gmpf@ffa.de with a financing plan and the planned shooting start, and slots are allocated in the order requests arrive. Only an applicant who files all required documents and has evidenced at least 45% of the financing as binding may submit.
What governs the order of approval is completeness, not speed: the day on which the application is complete with all required documents (§ 8.1 (4), § 8.2 (1)). Anyone who has to supplement an application rejoins the queue with the date and time of that supplement, and once the maximum application volume is reached even incomplete applications already submitted can no longer be accepted. The same producer may re-apply for the same project at most twice (§ 8.1 (5)).
The grant is up to 30% of the zuwendungsfähige deutsche Herstellungskosten — the eligible part of the German production costs. It is calculated on the deutsche Herstellungskosten (DHK, German production costs), capped at 80% of total production costs (§ 7.2 (1) GMPF-Richtlinie, in force 1 January 2026). The ceiling depends on the format: for films a maximum of €5m per film (§ 7.3), for series a maximum of €6m per season (§ 7.4 (1)).
Only fiction series that both carry DHK of at least €24m and score at least 70 points in the kultureller Eigenschaftstest (the cultural test — a points score for cultural content, creative talent and production activity, set out in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Richtlinie) under Annex 1 go beyond that €6m: a maximum of €7.2m where DHK reach up to €32m, €10.5m up to €40m, and €20m above €40m (§ 7.4 (2)). The „max. 20 Millionen Euro“ shown prominently on the FFA programme page is therefore the top of that ladder and not the standard ceiling — budgeting against it without meeting both conditions overstates the grant more than threefold, and in 2026 exactly one of 26 approvals reached that exceptional ceiling. This record therefore carries the ordinary ceiling of €6m as its funding-level figure, not the exceptional one.
Whether single episodes or a whole season are funded makes no difference to the amount (§ 7.4 (3)). The rate is not applied to the full DHK figure but to the eligible part: general Vorkosten (costs already incurred before the project), costs for underlying rights and rights in pre-existing works, legal advice, insurance, financing costs, travel and transport for actors, Handlungskosten (production company overheads), actors' fees above 15% of DHK, the contingency reserve, and Beistellungen (in-kind contributions) and deferred fees are all excluded; screenplay fees are not excluded, and for documentary films and documentary series archive material counts up to 30% of DHK (§ 7.2 (2)). Because those items drop out, the grant measured against the whole German production cost figure is regularly and noticeably below 30% — the 30% applies only to the eligible part.
Costs of shooting abroad are in principle not eligible; only for documentary films and documentary series do exterior scenes that must be shot abroad count, and only where at least 65% of the DHK are still achieved without them (§ 7.2 (3)). This is a grant awarded as project funding on an Anteilfinanzierung basis (a fixed share of eligible costs, § 7.1) — not a loan. The Richtlinie sets no fixed own contribution; instead it caps the Beihilfeintensität — the total of all public money in the financing plan, this grant, Länder funding and everything else added together — in principle at 50% of total production costs, rising to 60% for cross-border projects with producers from more than one EU member state; documentary films and documentary series count as schwierige audiovisuelle Werke (difficult audiovisual works, an EU state-aid category) and are exempt from those caps (§ 4.1 (2), § 2.2 (4)).
Incentive scheme with no jury and no legal entitlement: the FFA decides in the proper exercise of its discretion (pflichtgemäßes Ermessen) and subject to the availability of budgeted funds; the order of approval is governed by the day on which the application is complete with all required documents (§ 1 (4), § 8.1 (4), § 8.2 (1) GMPF-Richtlinie). No panel judges the content — the kultureller Eigenschaftstest (cultural test) in Annexes 1 to 3 does.
01Eligible to apply is the Hersteller within the meaning of the Richtlinie — the producer, that is, whoever is responsible, or in a co-production jointly responsible, for making a film or series up to delivery of the Nullkopie (answer print — the first fully finished, gradeable version) and is actively involved in production. A purely financial participation expressly does not suffice (§ 3 (2)). Where several producers in a co-production meet the conditions, only one of them may apply; the parties must agree on which and file a joint declaration to that effect with the application (§ 3 (7)). In co-productions the German producers involved are jointly and severally liable for repaying the grant (§ 8.4 (4)).
02Public-service and private broadcasters and video-on-demand providers are not eligible to apply (§ 3 (3)). The GMPF therefore does not fund the broadcaster or the platform but the production company — exploitation by a broadcaster or platform is, conversely, a condition of funding.
03Where you must be based: the applying producer must have their residence or registered office in Germany, another EU member state, another EEA contracting state or Switzerland. If that seat is not in Germany, a German branch must exist by the time of payment at the latest (§ 3 (4)). Where the project is made by the German subsidiary or branch of a producer based outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, that German entity must itself meet every condition of approval and must itself file the application (§ 3 (5)).
04Track record: the applying producer — or, where a single-purpose project company files the application, an affiliated company — must have produced at least one programmfüllend (programme-length) film (Referenzfilm) or series (Referenzserie) in Germany, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland within the seven years before applying. That reference work must have been released in German cinemas, on German television or on video-on-demand services accessible from Germany. Where the reference work was an international co-production involving a third country, the applicant must have produced it alone or with a majority share; the FFA board may waive that in justified exceptional cases (§ 3 (6)).
01An Antragsgespräch (advisory call) with the FFA's GMPF team is a mandatory precondition for every submission. It is requested by e-mail to gmpf@ffa.de, enclosing a financing plan and stating the planned shooting start; slots are allocated in the order requests arrive. In its 11 August 2026 announcement the FFA gives dfff@ffa.de for the same request — the safest course is to write to both addresses, putting „GMPF“ and the planned shooting start in the subject line. Submitting through the FFA-Serviceportal also requires prior registration; new accounts are checked and only activated after a few working days, so registering early is worthwhile.
02The FFA publishes the following on ffa.de as the „Liste aller für die Antragsannahme erforderlichen Unterlagen“ (list of all documents required for an application to be accepted), retrieved 24 August 2026: short synopsis and logline; a chronological overview of the chain of rights (chain of title) together with the contracts acquiring the film rights, including rights in the underlying work where the project is based on a pre-existing work, otherwise the screenplay or author contracts; the screenplay, and for series at least 50% of the scripts; the completed kultureller Eigenschaftstest with an explanation of every point claimed; for co-productions the co-production contract, at minimum a deal memo.
03Budget and financing: the budget including the calculation of the deutsche Herstellungskosten (DHK, German production costs) and of the anerkennungsfähige deutsche Herstellungskosten (ADHK, the recognised German production costs), plus details of budgeted own contributions and services from affiliated companies; the financing plan; evidence of financing for at least 45% of the total; and an Auswertungsvertrag (exploitation contract) for release or first broadcast in Germany, or for public-service broadcasters at least a Rechteeckdatenpapier or Kalkulationsprotokoll. A note on the terms: „ADHK“ comes from the FFA's document list; the Richtlinie itself does not use it, speaking throughout § 7.2 of the „zuwendungsfähige deutsche Herstellungskosten“ (the eligible German production costs). The FFA publishes no definition of ADHK, and there is no evidence that the two terms denote the same figure — settle this in the Antragsgespräch before the budget is drawn up.
Right now — intake is closedNothing to submit: do the arithmetic, register, watchSince 20 August 2026 the FFA has accepted no GMPF applications for projects shooting in 2026; for projects shooting in 2027 it intends to reopen from November 2026, expected but with no date published. There is therefore nothing to submit at present. Three things are still worth doing now. First, the arithmetic: a film needs total production costs of at least €25m (§ 5.2 (1)); a fiction series at least €30,000 per minute, or at least €1.2m per episode and €7.2m per season (§ 6.2 (1)); a documentary series at least €9,000 per minute, or at least €360,000 per episode and €1.65m per season (§ 6.2 (2)). If a project does not reach one of these thresholds the GMPF is out for it, and every further step is wasted. Second, register in the FFA-Serviceportal, because new accounts are checked and only activated after a few working days. Third, watch the FFA's GMPF programme page, where the FFA says it will announce the start of submissions.
Before submittingAntragsgespräch (advisory call) — a mandatory preconditionWithout a prior Antragsgespräch the FFA accepts no application. It is requested at gmpf@ffa.de with a financing plan and the planned shooting start; in its 11 August 2026 announcement the FFA gives dfff@ffa.de for this, so if in doubt write to both addresses. Slots are allocated in the order requests arrive, which means waiting when demand is high. Whether the FFA allocates slots while intake is closed is not published — ask when you make the request. Register in the FFA-Serviceportal in parallel: new accounts are checked and only activated after a few working days.
At the latest six weeks before shooting startsApplication — rolling, but at the latest six weeks before DrehbeginnThe application must be filed at the latest six weeks before Drehbeginn (§ 8.1 (2)); applying after shooting has started is excluded. The FFA board may allow deviations in justified exceptional cases. The six weeks are a minimum gap, not a promise about processing time: shooting or animation work may not begin until the Zuwendungsbescheid has been received (§ 4.3). Anyone who has to shoot earlier must apply separately, before shooting starts, for consent to a vorzeitiger Maßnahmenbeginn (an approved early start of work); it is at the FFA's discretion, there is no entitlement to it, and it creates no entitlement to the funding itself either. The FFA publishes no standard processing time — ask in the Antragsgespräch. Submission is possible only with all required documents and financing evidenced as at least 45% closed.
The GMPF is financed from budget line Kap. 0452 Tit. 683 22 of the federal budget and shares its envelope with the DFFF (§ 1 (2)). In July 2025 the federal government announced €250m a year for DFFF and GMPF from 2026 — up from €130m — and the culture minister Weimer and the finance minister Klingbeil agreed that this volume would continue beyond 2026; the money was released with the cabinet decision on the Mediendienste-Investitionsverpflichtungsgesetz (MedienInvestVG, the media services investment obligation act) on 27 May 2026. For 2027, however, the FFA stated on 11 August 2026 that „gut 200 Mio. Euro“ (just over €200m) is available for approvals, subject to the ongoing federal budget procedure — some €50m less than for 2026.
For the GMPF itself: for 2026 the FFA's funding list, as at August 2026, shows 26 approvals totalling €100,352,549.55, which works out at an average of roughly €3.9m per project, including a single award at the exceptional ceiling of €20m (§ 7.4 (2)). In 2025 there were 26 projects and €60,777,017, an average of roughly €2.3m; against 2024 (€32.5m to 21 projects) the total had thus almost doubled, and according to the FFA the GMPF grants drew follow-on investment of around €242.2m. Across the whole period 2016 to 2025, 181 productions were funded with €365,843,843 against €2.1bn of German production costs; on the FFA's and the BKM's account, series such as „Babylon Berlin“, „Dark“, „Liebes Kind“, „Maxton Hall“ and „Die Zweiflers“ would not have been made in Germany without the GMPF.
Raising the rate to 30% and the caps — for series from €10m to €20m and for films from €2.5m to €5m — sharply increased demand. The predecessor Richtlinie entered into force retroactively on 1 January 2025; projects benefit from the higher figures from 1 February 2025, meaning those approved on or after that day whose shooting had not begun before it. On 11 August 2026 the FFA spoke of an all-time high in applications and shooting starts for both theatrical and series productions and tightened its application requirements; nine days later the remaining application volume of €30m for DFFF and GMPF combined was exhausted.
In the nine days between 11 August 2026 and 20 August 2026 the FFA took in 13 applications, only three of them for the GMPF — two fiction series and one documentary series. The bottleneck is not competition on merit but the queueing rule: what counts is the day the application is complete, and anyone who has to supplement loses their place. Produktionsallianz, AG DOK, Deutsche Filmakademie and PROG Producers of Germany criticised the move in a joint statement as a loss of planning reliability and called it a „Bankrotterklärung der Filmpolitik“ (a declaration of bankruptcy by film policy); on 21 August 2026 DWDL noted that the rush in 2027 is likely to be greater still, because the envelope is set to fall from €250m to €200m.
In practice the GMPF is therefore a programme for a small number of very large projects: 26 approvals a year, with entry thresholds that rule out small and mid-sized series budgets from the outset.
DFFF I funds the making of programme-length theatrical films at the same 30% rate (max €5m), and DFFF II supports production service providers on large international productions. All three are administered by the FFA on behalf of the BKM from the same budget line and share its annual volume, which is why intake for 2026 was closed for all three together. The dividing line between GMPF and DFFF I runs through the first release: what is intended and suitable for cinemas belongs in DFFF I, everything else in the GMPF (§ 2.1 (1) GMPF-Richtlinie).
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.
01Kein veröffentlichtes Datum für den Einreichstart 2027. Die FFA schreibt am 11.08.2026 „frühestens ab November 2026“ und am 20.08.2026 auf der GMPF-Programmseite „voraussichtlich ab November“; die Seite „Einreich- und Sitzungstermine“ der FFA führt den GMPF überhaupt nicht auf. Der Datensatz führt den GMPF deshalb als angekündigten Einreichstart (deadline.type „einreichstart“, confidence „expected“): Die Antragsannahme ist seit dem 20.08.2026 geschlossen, „laufend“ würde in der Liste eine Einreichmöglichkeit anzeigen, die es derzeit nicht gibt. Die laufende Antragstellung ohne Stichtag bleibt als stehende Regel in deadline.ruleDe/ruleEn erhalten. Damit ist der Datensatz zugleich mit dfff-i konsistent, der durch dieselbe FFA-Meldung am selben Tag geschlossen wurde und ebenso als „einreichstart“ geführt wird. Der hinterlegte 01.11.2026 ist nur der technisch erforderliche Sortierschlüssel – der frühestmögliche Tag des von der FFA genannten Monats – und wird in beiden Sprachen an erster Stelle des Labels als „kein bestätigter Termin“ ausgewiesen. Sobald die FFA einen Termin nennt, sind date und deadline.date zu ersetzen und confidence auf „confirmed“ zu setzen; ist das Antragsfenster danach wieder offen, ist deadline.type auf „laufend“ umzustellen.
02Die geltende GMPF-Richtlinie (Stand 01.01.2026) ist nach § 12 Abs. 1 bis zum 31.12.2026 befristet; eine Nachfolgefassung ist am 24.08.2026 weder auf ffa.de/gmpf-richtlinie.html noch beim BKM veröffentlicht. Damit ist der gesamte Datensatz spätestens zum 31.12.2026 erneut zu prüfen: Fördersatz (30 %), Kappungsgrenzen (5 Mio. € Film, 6 bis 20 Mio. € Serie) und sämtliche Einstiegsschwellen gelten für 2027 nicht als gesichert. Welche Fassung für einen im November oder Dezember 2026 gestellten Antrag gilt, der erst 2027 vollständig wird oder erst 2027 beschieden wird, regelt die Richtlinie nicht: § 11 betrifft ausdrücklich nur Anträge, die vor Inkrafttreten dieser Richtlinie eingegangen sind. Teilweise beantwortet ist die Frage für den bestehenden Antragsbestand – die FFA schreibt im Update vom 20.08.2026, „angenommene Anträge mit vorzeitigem Maßnahmenbeginn, die in diesem Jahr nicht mehr vollständig werden, können 2027 nach den derzeit geltenden Regularien beschieden werden“ – als Kann-Aussage und nur für diese Gruppe.
Payment is in principle made only after the Nullkopie (answer print — the first fully finished, gradeable version of the film) is complete, the Verwendungsnachweis (final accounting proof) has been submitted and the final costs audited (§ 8.3 (1)); on a reasoned application payment can be made in instalments, and for grants above €2m only against a completion bond (an insurance policy guaranteeing the film will be delivered) or a bank guarantee (§ 8.3 (2)). A subsequent increase is possible only in cases of force majeure or comparable circumstances and only up to 30% of the grant originally awarded (§ 7.5).
05Subject matter: what is funded is the making of films that are neither intended nor suitable for a first release in cinemas, and the making of series (§ 2.1 (1)). A series within the meaning of the Richtlinie has a continuing fictional plot, or one linked by an overarching theme, or a documentary subject, realised in a number of episodes fixed in advance — at least four for fiction series and at least three for documentary series (a Staffel, or season). Whether the series is broadcast linearly or released on demand makes no difference. Whole seasons or individual episodes of a season may be funded (§ 2.1 (3)).
06Minimum length: a series is programme-length if its running time per season is at least 240 minutes for fiction and animated series and at least 180 minutes for documentary series (§ 6.1 (1)). A film is programme-length from a running time of 79 minutes, or 59 minutes for children's films (§ 5.1). The FFA board may allow shorter minimum lengths in justified exceptional cases — for films, expressly only for animated films.
07Cost thresholds for series: fiction series need total production costs of at least €30,000 per minute; that threshold falls away where total production costs reach at least €1.2m per episode and at least €7.2m per season (§ 6.2 (1)). Documentary series need at least €9,000 per minute; that falls away at total production costs of at least €360,000 per episode and at least €1.65m per season, subject to a floor of €7,000 per minute (§ 6.2 (2)). German production costs must amount to at least 40% of total production costs; that does not apply where they reach at least €10m for fiction series or at least €3m for documentary series (§ 6.2 (4)).
08Cost thresholds for films: total production costs must be at least €25m (§ 5.2 (1)). German production costs must amount to at least 40% of total production costs unless they reach at least €13m (§ 5.2 (2)). In addition the German share of the financing must be at least 20%; where total production costs exceed €35m, a German financing share of at least €7m suffices (§ 2.1 (2)). The 40% thresholds and their alternatives may be departed from on application in exceptional cases where, across all phases of production, at least €3m is spent on digital film-making in Germany within the meaning of Annex 6; the FFA decides in agreement with the BKM (§ 5.2 (2), § 6.2 (4)).
09Kultureller Eigenschaftstest (cultural test): fiction films and series — the Richtlinie calls them „Spielfilme und fiktionale Serien“ in § 4.5 (1), meaning here programme-length films without a first cinema release — must score at least 40 points under Annex 1, pure animated films and series at least 28 points under Annex 2, and documentary films and series at least 23 points under Annex 3 (§ 4.5). Under Annex 1 the total alone is not enough: from each of the three categories „Kultureller Inhalt“ (cultural content), „Kreative Talente“ (creative talent) and „Herstellung“ (production) at least three criteria and at least 7 points must be met, and only whole points are awarded. Contributors from the United Kingdom are counted like EU, EEA and Swiss contributors on a basis of reciprocity.
10Exploitation: the film or series must be released on German television or on video-on-demand services accessible from Germany. The intended release must be made credible to the FFA by the time of application at the latest — Glaubhaftmachung, a lower standard than full proof — and the actual release evidenced within a year of completion (§ 5.3 (1), § 6.3 (1)). In practice the FFA asks for more than credibility: the document list on ffa.de names an Auswertungsvertrag (exploitation contract) for release or first broadcast in Germany as a required application document, and for public-service broadcasters at least a Rechteeckdatenpapier (a summary of the agreed rights and financing terms) or a Kalkulationsprotokoll (the broadcaster's signed record of the agreed budget); for the restricted intake from 11 August 2026 the FFA required GMPF applicants specifically to hold a contract for „Auswertung bei einem deutschen Mediendienstprogrammanbieter“ (the FFA's wording — release with a German broadcaster or streaming service).
11Language and accessibility: at least one final version must be made in German — apart from passages of dialogue for which the screenplay provides another language — and a German-subtitled version suffices (§ 5.3 (2), § 6.3 (2)). In addition an accessible version must be available by the start of exploitation or broadcast: one version with German subtitles for people with hearing impairments and one with German audio description for people with visual impairments (§ 5.3 (3), § 6.3 (3)).
12Further hard conditions: shooting or animation work may not begin until the Zuwendungsbescheid (formal funding decision) has been issued; a vorzeitiger Maßnahmenbeginn (an approved early start of work) is possible only on application and at the FFA's discretion (§ 4.3). The application must set out the incentive effect, in particular that the project would not be carried out in Germany on this scale without the funding (§ 4.4). The ökologische Standards as amended from time to time — known across the German industry as the „Ökologische Mindeststandards“, the ecological minimum standards for production — must be met (§ 4.8); registration runs through the FFA-Serviceportal. Projects with unconstitutional or unlawful content, with a pornographic focus or one glorifying violence, or which clearly cause deep and inappropriate offence to religious feelings, are not eligible (§ 4.2). Undertakings in difficulty, and undertakings that have not complied with a state-aid recovery order, receive no funding (§ 1 (5)).
04What counts as binding for the 45% threshold, per the FFA's own list: for public funding, the award letter as an official document from the funding body; for minimum guarantees from world sales agents, at least a binding letter of commitment stating the amount and the intended exploitation terms; for German co-producers, cash contributed and Rückstellungen (deferrals) or Beistellungen (in-kind contributions) evidenced by at least a deal memo, with any public funding they bring in evidenced as public funding; for foreign co-producers, at least a deal memo stating the financing share or with a financing plan attached; for co-financing, at least a deal memo; for cash, a bank confirmation or a project-account statement showing the deposit with the corresponding reference — project-account balances are not accepted; for a financing contribution by the exploiter, the exploitation contract; and for Rückstellungen and Beistellungen, the signed declaration.
05Production documents: the current shooting schedule; a current crew and cast list stating places of residence or nationalities; where German production costs are budgeted for foreign crew and cast working in Germany, a schedule of those people who work in Germany and are subject to beschränkte Steuerpflicht (limited German tax liability — tax owed in Germany on German-source income only); and the reference number for the registration confirming compliance with the ökologische Standards.
06The application and all annexes must be filed electronically with the FFA. Since 22 July 2026 applications for DFFF I and the GMPF can be filed through the FFA-Serviceportal; the portal route has been compulsory since 1 September 2026, and until 31 August 2026 the FFA also accepted applications by e-mail (§ 8.1 (1) and the FFA notice). The application must state the planned date of completion of the Nullkopie. Where evidence cannot yet be produced at the time of application, making the point credible under § 294 ZPO (Zivilprozessordnung, the German Code of Civil Procedure) suffices; the evidence must then follow by the time of payment. Where the evidence is an invoice, it must be made out to the applying producer. Documents not available in a German original may be requested by the FFA in sworn translation or as a German summary confirmed as accurate by the applicant (§ 8.1 (3)).
07If the application is incomplete the FFA may set a deadline to complete it; if that deadline is missed the application must be rejected. The same producer may re-apply for the same project at most twice (§ 8.1 (5)). All application documents become the property of the BKM and remain in the FFA's possession (§ 8.1 (6)). The statements in the application forms and in the final accounting are subventionserheblich (subvention-relevant) within the meaning of § 264 StGB (Strafgesetzbuch, the German Criminal Code) in conjunction with § 2 Subventionsgesetz (§ 8.5 (1)) — in plain terms, a false statement here is criminal subsidy fraud, not a form error.
08After approval: the Verwendungsnachweis (final accounting proof) and the audit of final costs are as a rule due at the latest two years after completion of the Nullkopie; the FFA appoints the final-cost auditor and the producer bears the cost of the audit (§ 8.4 (2) and (3)). A technically flawless copy in an archivable format must be transferred free of charge to the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, and where the obligation applies, the accessible version too (§ 4.6). A funding credit must appear prominently in the opening or closing titles and on all advertising material; the BKM logo must be shown in the opening or closing titles and reproduced on advertising material (§ 4.7).
09A note on how current the forms are: the „Kurzdarstellung Bewilligungsvoraussetzungen“ (summary of approval conditions) linked from ffa.de is still headed „Richtlinie vom 01.01.2025“, and the Eigenschaftstest forms linked there date from 2021. That heading is not the last version in force: § 12 (2) of the current Richtlinie names the superseded text as the Richtlinie in the version of 28 March 2025. Substantively the thresholds in that summary match the version in force from 1 January 2026; even so, only the current Richtlinie and its Annexes 1 to 3 govern.
After receiptReview and acknowledgement — completeness beats speedApplications are processed in the order in which they are complete (§ 8.1 (4)); the order of approval is governed by the day of completeness (§ 8.2 (1)). If something is missing there is a response and a chance to supplement — the application then rejoins the queue with the date and time of that supplement. The FFA states plainly: „Somit verschafft die Einreichung eines Antrags ohne alle erforderlichen Anlagen oder ohne Nachweise für 45 % der Finanzierung keinen zeitlichen Vorteil!“ (submitting an application without all the required annexes, or without evidence for 45% of the financing, therefore gains you no time). An acknowledgement of receipt is not yet the same as being complete for the funding decision.
At 65% closed financingApproval by ZuwendungsbescheidApproval may follow only once it is credible that 65% of total production costs are financed (§ 8.2 (2)). The grant is awarded by written decision incorporating the ANBest-P (the general ancillary conditions for project funding); the procurement-law threshold is raised to €26m, and below it contracts must still be awarded competitively, where possible after three quotes, and documented (§ 8.2 (4)). There is no legal entitlement, and approval is subject to the availability of budgeted funds (§ 1 (4)).
5 and 6 months after the decision is receivedAuflösende Bedingungen (conditions subsequent) — miss these and the grant lapsesThe full financing must be evidenced within five months of receipt of the funding decision, shooting or animation work must begin within six months, and the project must be completed within the period stated in the application for completion of the Nullkopie (§ 8.2 (5)). Missing those deadlines voids the approval. On application the FFA may extend the five-month period once by one month and the other two once; a second extension of the completion deadline is possible only in a special exceptional case, by decision of the board (§ 8.2 (6)).
After completionPayment, final accounting, evidence of releasePayment is in principle made only after the Nullkopie is complete, the Verwendungsnachweis has been submitted and the final costs audited (§ 8.3 (1)). On a reasoned application instalments are possible: 33% at the start of shooting, 33% on completion of the rough cut — for series the rough cut must cover at least 50% of the season or of the individually funded episode — and the remainder after the final-cost audit; for documentary series a further instalment may be drawn at the midpoint of shooting, with no instalment exceeding 33% and the last amounting to at least 20%. For grants above €2m, instalments require a Fertigstellungsversicherung (completion bond — an insurance policy guaranteeing the film will be delivered) or a bank guarantee for the amount to be paid out (§ 8.3 (2)). Actual release on German television or on a video-on-demand service accessible from Germany must be evidenced at the latest twelve months after completion of the Nullkopie; the final accounting is as a rule due within two years (§ 8.3 (1), § 8.4 (3)).
03
Widerspruch zur Serien-Kappungsgrenze zwischen Tier 1 und Tier 2. § 7.4 Abs. 1 der Richtlinie setzt die Regelobergrenze bei 6 Mio. € pro Staffel; die 20 Mio. € nach § 7.4 Abs. 2 gelten nur für fiktionale Serien mit deutschen Herstellungskosten von mindestens 24 Mio. € und mindestens 70 Punkten im Eigenschaftstest. Die FFA-Programmseite ffa.de/german-motion-picture-fund-gmpf.html nennt in der Übersichtsbox dagegen ohne Einschränkung „Serien: max. 20 Millionen Euro“. Der Datensatz folgt der Richtlinie: amountMax trägt die Regelobergrenze von 6 Mio. €, weil die Liste amountMax unqualifiziert als „bis … €“ anzeigt und 2026 nur eine von 26 Bewilligungen die 20 Mio. € erreicht hat. Die vollständige Staffelung bis 20 Mio. € steht in amountLabel, amountLabelEn und amountDetailDe/En. Folge: Der Förderhöhen-Filter ordnet das Programm eher eine Stufe zu niedrig ein – das ist bewusst in Kauf genommen.
04ADHK gegen zuwendungsfähige deutsche Herstellungskosten. Die Unterlagenliste der FFA verlangt die Berechnung der „anerkennungsfähigen deutschen Herstellungskosten (ADHK)“; die Richtlinie kennt diesen Begriff nicht und spricht in § 7.2 durchgehend von den zuwendungsfähigen deutschen Herstellungskosten. Eine Definition der ADHK ist auf ffa.de nicht auffindbar, und es ist nicht belegt, dass beide Begriffe dieselbe Größe meinen. Der Datensatz führt beide Begriffe nebeneinander und behauptet keine Gleichsetzung. Gegen die Kalkulationsformulare der FFA und im Antragsgespräch klären.
05Widerspruch zum Auswertungsnachweis zwischen Tier 1 und Tier 2. § 5.3 Abs. 1 und § 6.3 Abs. 1 verlangen zum Zeitpunkt der Antragstellung nur, die beabsichtigte Auswertung „glaubhaft zu machen“. Die von der FFA veröffentlichte Unterlagenliste (Tier 2) fordert dagegen einen Auswertungsvertrag für die Auswertung beziehungsweise Erstausstrahlung in Deutschland, und die FFA-Meldung vom 11.08.2026 verlangt GMPF-spezifisch einen „Vertrag über Auswertung bei einem deutschen Mediendienstprogrammanbieter“. Der Datensatz gibt beides wieder und weist die Verschärfung als Anforderung der FFA aus, nicht als Regel der Richtlinie. Ob sie für das Einreichverfahren 2027 fortgilt, ist nicht bestätigt.
06Fortgeltung der Sonderanforderungen vom 11.08.2026 insgesamt (Auswertungsvertrag, zwingendes Antragsgespräch, mindestens 45 % verbindlich belegte Finanzierung für die Einreichung). Weder das Antragsgespräch noch die 45-Prozent-Schwelle stehen in der Richtlinie – die Richtlinie kennt nur die 65 % für die Bewilligung (§ 8.2 Abs. 2). Ob die FFA die Anforderungen für das Einreichverfahren 2027 fortschreibt, ist nicht veröffentlicht.
07Vergibt die FFA Termine für das Antragsgespräch auch während der geschlossenen Antragsannahme? Die Termine werden in der Reihenfolge der Anfragen vergeben, das Gespräch ist zwingende Voraussetzung für die Einreichung, und die Antragsannahme ist seit dem 20.08.2026 geschlossen. Ob eine Anfrage jetzt schon einen Platz sichert oder erst mit der Wiedereröffnung möglich ist, hat die FFA nicht veröffentlicht. Die Antwort entscheidet darüber, ob Warten ein Fehler ist. Bei der FFA erfragen.
08Regelbearbeitungsdauer zwischen vollständigem Antrag und Zuwendungsbescheid. Die Richtlinie nennt keine, und die FFA veröffentlicht keine. Weil vor dem Bescheid nicht gedreht werden darf (§ 4.3) und der Antrag nur sechs Wochen vor Drehbeginn liegen muss (§ 8.1 Abs. 2), ist das die entscheidende Planungsgröße für jeden Drehplan. Der Datensatz nennt deshalb keine Dauer und verweist auf das Antragsgespräch.
09„Bei Serien mindestens 50 % der Drehbücher“ – Bezugsgröße unklar. Die Unterlagenliste der FFA sagt nicht, ob damit 50 % der Episoden der beantragten Staffel oder 50 % der Gesamtlaufzeit gemeint sind. Bei einer Achtteiler-Staffel ist das der Unterschied zwischen vier fertigen Büchern und deutlich mehr Vorlauf, und es ist der größte einzelne Arbeitsposten vor der Einreichung. Nicht auflösbar aus den veröffentlichten Unterlagen; im Antragsgespräch klären.
10Zwei Kontaktadressen für dasselbe Antragsgespräch. Die GMPF-Programmseite nennt gmpf@ffa.de, die FFA-Meldung vom 11.08.2026 dagegen dfff@ffa.de. Der Datensatz führt gmpf@ffa.de als contactEmail, weil das die programmeigene Seite ist, und empfiehlt in requirementsDe/En[0], beide Adressen anzuschreiben. Gegen eine aktualisierte Seite prüfen.
11Veraltete Inhalte auf der FFA-Programmseite (Tier 2). Der Block „Erhöhung der Förderintensität auf 30 Prozent und höhere Kappungsgrenzen“ steht weiterhin im Futur und schließt mit „Die Richtlinie bedarf noch der Zustimmung der EU-Kommission. Sobald die Zustimmung erfolgt ist, wird die Richtlinie hier veröffentlicht.“ – das bezieht sich auf die Fassung 2025 und ist überholt, seit die Fassung 2026 veröffentlicht ist. Ebenso trägt die verlinkte „Kurzdarstellung Bewilligungsvoraussetzungen“ im Kopf „Richtlinie vom 01.01.2025“, obwohl § 12 Abs. 2 der geltenden Fassung die Richtlinie in der Fassung vom 28.03.2025 als abgelöst benennt; die verlinkten Eigenschaftstest-Formulare sind von 03-2021. Die Schwellenwerte der Kurzdarstellung stimmen inhaltlich mit der Fassung 2026 überein; ob die Formulare den Anlagen 1 bis 3 der Fassung 2026 entsprechen, ließ sich nicht prüfen. Der Datensatz stützt sich durchgehend auf die Richtlinie.
12Auch die Programmseite des Zuwendungsgebers, kulturstaatsminister.de/film-und-medien/wirtschaftliche-filmfoerderung/german-motion-picture-fund (Tier 2), trägt „Stand: Montag, 31. März 2025“ und beschreibt noch die Verlängerung „für das Jahr 2025“. Aus ihr sind nur die historischen Zahlen für 2024 übernommen (32,5 Mio. € an 21 Projekte); alle geltenden Regeln stammen aus der Richtlinie 2026.
13Haushaltsmittel 2027: Die FFA nennt „gut 200 Mio. Euro“ ausdrücklich „vorbehaltlich des weiteren Aufstellungsverfahrens zum Haushalt“; die Zahl ist nicht endgültig. Wie sie sich auf DFFF I, DFFF II und GMPF verteilt und wie viel davon durch die am 11.08.2026 noch in Bearbeitung befindlichen 111 Projekte bereits gebunden ist, ist nicht veröffentlicht. Ein eigenes GMPF-Jahresvolumen veröffentlicht die FFA generell nicht – die genannten 30 Mio. € Restvolumen galten für DFFF und GMPF zusammen.
14Stand des Mediendienste-Investitionsverpflichtungsgesetzes (MedienInvestVG). Belegt ist der Kabinettsbeschluss vom 27.05.2026 und die damit verbundene Freigabe der 250 Mio. €. Ob das Gesetz das parlamentarische Verfahren bereits durchlaufen hat, ließ sich am 24.08.2026 nicht belegen; der Datensatz behauptet dazu nichts. Auch die amtliche Kurzbezeichnung ist gegen den Wortlaut des Gesetzes zu prüfen – belegt ist bislang nur die Abkürzung MedienInvestVG aus der BKM-Pressemitteilung.
15Durchführungsbestimmungen der FFA: § 8.1 Abs. 3 verweist für die einzureichenden Angaben und Unterlagen auf „die von der FFA in den Durchführungsbestimmungen zu dieser Richtlinie festgelegten Angaben und Unterlagen“. Ein eigenständiges Dokument dieses Namens ist auf ffa.de nicht auffindbar; die Unterlagenliste im Datensatz stützt sich deshalb auf die von der FFA auf der Programmseite veröffentlichte Liste.
16Aufschlüsselung der Bewilligungsliste 2026. Die Gesamtsumme von 100.352.549,55 € bei 26 Bewilligungen ist der Liste (Stand August 2026) sicher zu entnehmen und stimmt mit der Summe der Einzelbeträge überein. Die Zuordnung einzelner Beträge zu einzelnen Projekten war aus der Textextraktion des PDF nicht zuverlässig lesbar; der Datensatz nennt deshalb keine projektbezogenen Beträge, sondern nur Summe, Anzahl und die Tatsache, dass eine Einzelbewilligung die Ausnahmeobergrenze von 20 Mio. € erreicht.
17Formatabdeckung Animation, Dokumentarfilm und Fernsehfilm. animationsfilm ist in formats aufgenommen, weil § 4.5 Abs. 2 einen eigenen Eigenschaftstest für „reine Animationsfilme- oder -serien“ vorsieht und § 6.1 Abs. 1 animierte Serien ausdrücklich nennt; eine tatsächlich bewilligte reine Animationsproduktion ist in den Listen 2025 und 2026 nicht als solche ausgewiesen. dokumentarfilm trägt hier faktisch die Doku-Serien – ein einzelner Dokumentarfilm erreicht die 25 Mio. € des § 5.2 Abs. 1 nicht. fernsehfilm ist rechtlich korrekt (§ 2.1 Abs. 1 fördert genau den Film ohne Kino-Erstauswertung), praktisch aber liegt der klassische deutsche Fernsehfilm bei 1,5 bis 3 Mio. € und damit weit unter der Schwelle; die einzige Nicht-Serien-Bewilligung 2026 ist ein Streaming-Spielfilm. Der Datensatz weist diese Einschränkungen in summaryDe/En[0] aus; die Beschreibungen der Taxonomiewerte sollten die 25-Mio.-€-Schwelle ebenfalls tragen.
18Widerspruch in der Zahlentabelle der Publikation „DFFF und GMPF auf einen Blick 2025“: Der Fließtext spricht von „26 High-End-Serien“ und von „19 fiktionalen High-End-Serien“, die Tabelle führt daneben „Serien 19“ und „davon Doku-Serien 7“. Ob die 19 die fiktionalen Serien oder alle Serien meinen, ist aus der Publikation nicht eindeutig aufzulösen. Der Datensatz übernimmt deshalb nur die unstrittigen Werte: 26 Bewilligungen und 60.777.017 €.
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.