Warner Bros. supports FFHSH with one million euros per year

Dr Carsten BrosdaSenator for Culture and Media and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of FFHSH: "Film in the north has also attracted international attention in recent years with numerous productions. With Warner, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein has gained a strong partner with whom the film location can be expanded even further. This co-operation shows what is possible when innovative paths are taken. It is exemplary. Thanks to Warner's support, we can test new film funding systems and further expand talent development at the location. A collaboration that strengthens the film genre and the film industry in equal measure and paves the way for high-quality cinema productions made in the north."

Helge AlbersCEO of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein: "We are very pleased that Warner Bros., a major local company, is specifically supporting the film industry on its own doorstep. The funds from this funding pot will be channelled into projects with a strong regional focus and a quarter of the money is reserved for newcomer projects. The trust fund is a new, innovative funding instrument with which we will be able to support even more projects in our region from 2020 and whose basic idea of solidarity I greatly appreciate. I would like to expressly thank my predecessor Maria Köpf for providing the impetus for this initiative."

Willi GeikePresident & Managing Director Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH: "Warner Bros. has been committed to German film since 1995 through investments as a co-producer and distributor. Fundings for young up-and-coming talent are particularly important to us, as our collaboration on 'First Steps' and 'Into The Wild' shows. With our new initiative at Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (FFHSH), we want to support young screenwriting talent and filmmakers from the region in particular, enable the production of innovative cinema films and strengthen the location."

More about the co-operation: Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH will provide FFHSH with the sum of one million euros per year for fiduciary management. The agreement has an initial term of three years. Funding will be provided for script developments and productions for cinema films from or in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The projects must be of particular significance in terms of content, art and/or the cultural industry. At least 25 per cent of the sum is awarded to newcomer projects in order to strengthen talent development in the region.

This year, the amount will be divided over three committee meetings and allocated from April; in 2021, there will be four committee meetings.

The Committee is made up of three people, two of whom are appointed by FFHSH. The third person will be appointed by Warner Bros. but must not be directly dependent on the company. FFHSH CEO Helge Albers will have an advisory role.

Image material: A photo of Willi Geike, Warner Bros., Helge Albers, FFHSH, Peter Schauerte, Warner Bros. and Senator Dr Carsten Brosda can be downloaded under the following link: https://we.tl/t-jT8SkGzZ0K(Photo credit: FFHSH/ Daniel Szewczyk)