As Germany heads into a key general election on February 23, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the country’s film industry. Europe’s largest economy is facing a third consecutive year of recession, which is having a stark knock-on effect on the German media landscape as inflation and cost of energy prices hit the production sector.
Across the last three years, the industry has been seeking a solution to its woes by working closely with the country’s government to install what was slated to be the country’s biggest reform to film funding to date. For many years, Germany has traditionally been a powerhouse in the international film sector, particularly at markets such as the EFM where a German acquisition of a title, which was often aided by strong TV commitments, was a huge coup for producers and sellers. But things are evolving as traditional TV commitments are less potent. Germany’s box office dipped by 6.5% year-on-year in 2024, the most of all major European territories.
