Promoting cinema

Film promotion by the Goethe-Institut abroad

Scene with Ulrich Mühe and Ulrich Tukur
© picture alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library

Scene with Ulrich Mühe and Ulrich Tukur

The medium of film enables a modern Germany to communicate an exceptionally wide-ranging and powerful image of itself and its culture to a wide, young audience abroad, at the same time feeding important new ideas into the intercultural dialogue. Even when German film is not immediately addressing developments in Germany, it nevertheless consistently conveys an impression of the state of German cinema and of the German people’s view of the world.

The Federal Foreign Office is actively involved in promoting German cinema abroad, particularly through the successful work of the Goethe-Institut in this field. On average around 68 German films are watched by people abroad every day, with an annual total of over two million viewers.

The traditional 35mm festival format has also been made available digitally, so that 40 per cent of film titles are already available on DVD, with subtitles in five to ten languages. The introduction of the DVD format has contributed to making film presentations abroad even better, cheaper and more audience-friendly. Cooperation with German Films Service + Marketing GmbH provides better access to worldwide commercial marketing channels.

Part of the Goethe-Institut’s film work consists in supporting filmmaking in countries in transition, who can invite German films and film directors. Similarly, directors from abroad are offered the opportunity to present their work at German film festivals and network with their European counterparts.

The Goethe-Institut programmes provide a possible springboard for filmmakers as regards distribution in countries whose film marketing is already commercially developed (USA, Australia, Japan, Korea).

In addition, German funding ensures the presence of foreign films at international festivals such as the Berlinale in Berlin, the “Filmfestival Cottbus” or the “Filmfestival goEast” in Wiesbaden. Germany also supports young filmmakers at the Berlinale Talent Campus.

Berlin International Film Festival – Berlinale

Berlinale Talent Campus
© picture-alliance/dpa

Berlinale Talent Campus

The Berlin International Film Festival now attracts one of the largest film festival audiences in the world. Up to 400 films – mostly world premieres, or at least European – are viewed by recently as many as 400,000 visitors.

The cinema programme is divided into different sections, each with its own unique profile: big international movies in the Competition, independent and art-house productions in Panorama; movies specially for a young audience in the Generation section – formerly a children and youth film festival – with a dual programme Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus; the most promising German cinema productions in Perspektive Deutsches Kino, and experimental international films in the Forum.

Contribution by the Federal Foreign Office

The Federal Foreign Office contributes to this highlight of the city’s cultural calendar by supporting the so-called “Talent Campus”, which was initiated in 2003. The Talent Campus invites approximately 350 young filmmakers from 90 countries to Berlin. In workshops on issues concerning film production, new technical developments, creative devices, exploiting market opportunities and philosophical questions, participants have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, professionals from the international film industry – for example in 2008 the British director and producer Stephen Daldry.

Last updated 26.04.2011