FILM

Frankfurt with Germany’s most impressive skyline and its international and cosmopolitan flair offers various facets and varied contrasts. Here, on small space, modern urban and silent monasteries, classic Bauhaus architecture and medieval castles, Industrial area and idyllic landscape meet. Frankfurt with Germany’s largest city-forest, nestled in the wooded mountains of Taunus, Odenwald, Spessart and Rheingau is also a beautiful recreation area. Well networked transportation services and routes in the city and the area make Frankfurt a city of short distances. Filmmakers love the incomparable mixture offered by this city and the region.

Here in Frankfurt intersect domestic and international data networks and help understand that in the digital world, too all ways lead via Frankfurt. They are one of the key functions for the service and production site of Frankfurt and therefore form an important backbone for digital work and at the same time secure the global labor and production flow.

The local professional film and media producers and service providers work on a national and international level.

Cinema culture is like cider to Frankfurt. The city has a vibrant film culture, which unfolds on all levels: DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, the oldest film scientific institute of the Federal Republic, AG Dokumentarfilm, Faßbinder Center, filmportal.de and the European counterpart EFG – The European Film Gateway.

Frankfurt is a perfect location for filming and production.

#FILMinFFM

For filmmakers and production companies, we are the first point of contact in Frankfurt for all questions regarding film and film production.

We love film and we are happy to welcome you in our city!

Contact:
Kathrin Ahrens & Manuela Schiffner
T: +49 69 212 36214
film@frankfurt-business.net

Since almost daily at multiple locations Frankfurt is the venue for filming, it is essential to obtain a permit before shooting. Your central point of contact for filming permits in Frankfurt is the Service Center Events (SCV).

The informal and written application (in German) must be submitted at least 14 days before shooting begins. Road closures and other traffic measures must be applied for at least 21 days in advance.

Should you need assistance in applying for a filming permit, professional production service agencies are at your disposal.

The film business is people business. Building and maintaining networks is part of it. More than 20 film, media and digital festivals make an important contribution to networking every year, especially LICHTER – Frankfurt Filmfest International, LUCAS – International Film Festival for Young Film Fans, REMAKE – Days of Women in Film from Frankfurt, the Japanese film festival Nippon Connection, THE ARTS+ or NODE – Forum for Digital Arts.

In addition to the festivals, there are various networking opportunities for film and media professionals throughout the year: Filmhaus Frankfurt invites to Filmhaus Jour Fixes, FFF Wellwork is offering a plattform for interested parties in commercial film, radio and television. The BFFS (Federal Association for Stage, Film and Television, Synchron) round table brings together film and television actresses and actors. WIFT, the international business network for women in the film and television industry and digital media, as well as our own network format WOMEN in FILM is especially aimed at female filmmakers.

In addition to the analogue platforms, digital ones such as Crew United, Cinando and Production Paradise offer a very good basis for professional exchange.

In addition to its excellent infrastructure, exceptional locations one can find in Frankfurt creative minds, young and experienced entrepreneurs who work with state-of-the-art technologies. Especially the resident media production and audio production houses stand for high quality work, and edit and create movies from all areas – from commercials to animation films up to blockbusters.

Creative, well-educated people with smart ideas are essential for the future of our society – and on economic terms as well. Particularly the students at the local universities enjoy a high-level education. At the same time, Frankfurt offers the best conditions to find a good job here, or take the path to independence. The direct contact between universities, students and the film and media industry enables a future-oriented and job-skilled training. This enables students to acquire the knowledge of production and industry. This offer is made by Hessische Film- und Medienakademie – hFMA. The network of 13 Hessian universities, colleges and art schools aims at the improvement of quality in media education in teaching, research and production.

In the search for production job offers, ZAV – Künstlervermittlung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Artist Agency of the Federal Employment Agency) provides support. The agents of the Künstlervermittlung know the requirements of the film and TV industry from their own production experience. They offer an extensive network of services and placement services. With their overview of current productions, they mediate for productions in the fields of cinema, TV, advertising films and series, actors as well as technical and production specialists.

For current job advertisements it is worth taking a look at the hFMA JOB EXCHANGE and Crew United JOB EXCHANGE.

The following film industry associations offer a wide range of opportunities for professional qualification, professional exchange and networking.

  1. Regional Funding

    HessenFilm und Medien GmbH is the film promotion agency in Hessen. It promotes Hessen’s film, television and cinema culture with the goal of developing, maintaining and strengthening the diversity of film culture and the film industry in Hessen.

  2. Federal Funding

    The German Federal Film Board (FFA) grants conditionally repayable loans for the production of feature, documentary and short films, supports the creation of screenplays, sales and distribution, the planning and preparation of film projects, further education, research, rationalization and innovation in the film industry.

    Through the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media provides 60 million euros annually for the production of international feature films in Germany. The DFFF sees its task in strengthening Germany as a film location as well as the international competitiveness of the German film industry with its jobs. The DFFF is administered by the German Federal Film Board FFA.

    The German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) is intended to strengthen the competitiveness and innovative power of Germany as a film location and to promote the production of films and series as an economic and cultural asset. Support is provided for the production of internationally co-produced feature films and series with high production budgets and high expenditure in Germany. The DFFF is administered by the German Federal Film Board FFA.

    German Films is the national information and consulting center for the worldwide export of German films.

  3. European Funding

    The EU supports the cultural and creative industries with the Creative Europe Program. In addition to the CULTURE section, the MEDIA section in particular serves to finance the cinema industry and the entire audiovisual sector. Both areas are complemented by the interdisciplinary CROSS SECTOR section.

  4. Olffi – Funding Database

    The Olffi platform is the largest database on funding for film, TV and new media. The screening of the database includes 90 countries, many hundreds of funding programs and detailed information on the funding regulations in the individual countries, a funding calendar and the possibility of very specific research according to a wide range of criteria in individual regions.