Los Angeles, CA—It was in
2011 at the Goethe Institute across from the offices of the Screen Actor’s
Guild where I learned about the generous film funding offered by the German
government.
A panel of leaders in German
film and government funding spoke to American filmmakers explaining the
process.
This was as filmmakers were
given little choice but to flee the extortionate taxation of California’s
politicians that have squeezed this important industry virtually to death. Hollywood’s loss is certainly Germany’s
gain.
Germany has learned that
funding films creates production, jobs, and wealth as it promotes art in a big
way. In the end the German government
realized tax revenue by simply priming the pump.
Whether it’s a Liam Neeson
thriller, or one of the many edgy Quentin Tarantino films and so many in
between, they’ve been funded in part by Germany. The catch is they agreed to simply producing
a percentage or the entire film in Germany.
The films themselves have
been wonderful. Frankly most of the
films would never have been made without the German funding. Simply put, our German friends are providing
opportunities for American writers, actors, directors and producers to do the
work they love. Of course the same holds
true for the German counterparts.
The world’s film library has
become so much richer because of some dedicated people promoting this
concept. I’ve been fortunate to make
friends with some of these terrific people.
I’ve got a special fondness
for the German people since my days as a conscripted U.S. Army medical corpsman
serving there 1968-70.
If you want to get your film
made Germany may well have a solution for you simply by finding one of many
gifted German producers willing to work with you.
Here is a reel of some of the
films created with funding and created at Studio Babelsberg In Berlin:
Here is a video that event I
attended that explains the ins and outs of German film funding:
