02/04/2003 - FFA gives top producers and distributors of German films Euros22.6m, one-third of which to Constantin

Following its meeting on 28 March 2003, the German Federal Film Board (FFA) decided it would assign a total of Euros22.6m to the most successful producers and distributors of German films in 2002.
The best performer in both fields last year was the Munich-based Constantin. As well as a couple of gold trophies, the company was also given Euros6.6m in financial support. This is one-third of the total amount given to the entire industry. The runners-up in the production category were Pandora Film and Hofmann & Voges Entertainment.
On the distribution side, the winning trio, lead by Constantin included the Berlin-based X-Distribution and Senator Film Distribution.

Last year the FFA assigned around Euros19.5m for production and examined a 73 submissions. Support for ticket sales for films that broke the 100,000-ticket barrier was set at Euros1.31.
In 2002 just one German title, Bibi Blocksberg by Hermine Huntgeburth received the maximum amount available: Euros1.577.460 for total ticket receipts of 1.2million and five German productions or co-productions received more than Euros1m in support. The lucky five were: Nowhere in Africa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Caroline Link and produced by Peter Herrmann, Knallharte Jungs by Granz Henman, German co-production Resident Evil by Paul W.S. Anderson, Nackt [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Doris Doerrie and the pan-European co-production Le Peuple Migrateur.
77.45 per cent of available Reference Support funds went to fiction titles in 2002; 7.42 per cent was given to documentaries in 2002 compared to 2.42 per cent the previous year, while children’s films saw a decline with 15.13 per cent of available funds assigned in 2002 compared to 39.02 per cent in 2001.
This “Reference Support” is based on the Federal Film Promotion Law that helps start-up the financing of new projects by producers who have demonstrated their professional prowess.