Schleswig-Holstein increases funding share to one million euros

Karin PrienMinister for Education, Science and Culture of Schleswig-Holstein: "I am delighted about this increase in joint film funding in the north. This will strengthen the production side in the long term. But it also provides scope for new and innovative format developments in cooperation with creative partners: more audiovisual formats of all genres and more cinema films with a regional focus. The latest festival participations and distributions show that the FFHSH is on the right track."

Helge AlbersCEO of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein: "Schleswig-Holstein is sending out an important signal for the film industry in the north by rounding up the film million - especially in times of the pandemic. We currently have 13 teams filming in Schleswig-Holstein in 2021, including exciting projects with high-calibre casts such as the film adaptations of novels by Dörte Hansen and Joachim Meyerhoff. We can't wait to see what other North German film gems will follow." The million from Schleswig-Holstein brings the total film funding budget to around 15.7 million euros. Around 9.2 million euros of this comes from the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, 1.2 million euros from NDR, a further million euros from ZDF and around 2.3 million euros from a share of the licence fee set by the legislator. Since 2020, Hamburg-based Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH has provided one million euros annually to the "Nordbuster" Committee.

FESTIVAL SUCCESSES AND CINEMA RELEASES With Tim Fehlbaum's "Tides" and Julian Radlmaier's "Bloodsuckers", two FFHSH-funded cinema productions were shot in Schleswig-Holstein in 2018 and 2019 that made it into the programme of the 71st Berlinale this year. The Paramount Pictures production "Without Remorse", which was filmed in the OffTEC company's water tank in Enge-Sande, among other locations, will be released on Amazon Prime in April. The leading role in the action thriller is played by US superstar Michael B. Jordan. And the four-legged friend Lassie was also allowed to run through the vastness of Schleswig-Holstein in 2019 for his latest cinema adventure. The North German drama series "Tod von Freunden" starring Jan Joseph Liefers, which was filmed in the Flensburg Fjord, among other places, has been on ZDF since February 2021. And Schleswig-Holstein Executive Producer Ann Carolin Renninger was awarded the special prize at the German Short Film Award 2020 for her tragic-comic short film "Maman Maman Maman".

PLANNED FILMING As things stand, 13 FFHSH-funded cinema productions will shoot in Schleswig-Holstein in 2021. A total of 148 shooting days are planned. These include, among others:

Mittagsstunde (Florida Film, Hamburg) Directors: Lars Jessen, Script: Catharina Junk Planned filming days in SH: 38

Content: Directors and Executive Producer Lars Jessen brings Dörte Hansen's bestseller of the same name to the big screen with "Mittagsstunde". The story about the fictional village of Brinkebüll is filmed entirely in Schleswig-Holstein and begins in the mid-sixties, when the surveyors came to prepare for the major land consolidation. Charly Hübner takes on the leading role of Ingwer Petersen.

Marble (Walker+Worm Film, Munich) Directors: Alex Schaad Script: Alex Schaad, Dimitrij Schaad Planned filming days in SH: 27

Synopsis: An unusual love story: a couple try to save their relationship by swapping into other people's bodies. The high-calibre cast includes Paula Beer, Jonas Dassler, Edgar Selge and Maryam Zaree.

Pony heart (Riva Filmproduktion, Hamburg) Directors: Markus Dietrich, Script: Peter Freund Planned filming days in SH: 19

Content: The film is based on the successful children's book series by Usch Luhn and tells the story of eleven-year-old Anni, who has to find her way in a completely new environment after moving to the countryside. She gets help from the wild horse Ponyherz, with whom she feels an almost magical connection. Dieter Hallervorden and Nilam Farooq have so far been confirmed as cast members.

My Lotta life 2 (Favourite film, Munich) Directors: Martina Plura, Script: Bettina Börgerding Planned filming days in SH: 16

Content: Lotta is about to go on her first school trip - and her emotional world is turned upside down. The leading role of Lotta is once again played by Meggy Marie Hussong from Schleswig-Holstein.

Hunting fever (TOBIS Filmproduktion, Berlin) Directors: Aaron Lehmann, Script: Lea Schmidbauer Planned filming days in SH: 8

Synopsis: Marlene is to be dissuaded from a serious sex date by her friend Eva with a fake wellness weekend. Fittingly, ten days of filming are planned at a wellness resort in Schleswig-Holstein.

When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before (Komplizen Film, Berlin) Directors: Sonja Heiss, Script: Sonja Heiss, Lars Hubrich Planned filming days in SH: 9

Content: Sonja Heiss adapts the bestselling novel of the same name by actor Joachim Meyerhoff into a film: insanely funny and deeply touching, Meyerhoff tells the story of how difficult it is to be a family. As the director's son, he grows up on a sprawling psychiatric ward near Schleswig.

Fire play (Hanfgarn & Ufer Nord, Hamburg) Directors + script: Hille Norden Planned filming days in SH: 5

Synopsis: In Feuerspiel, Kiel-based Directors and Script Writer Hille Norden deals with the subject of paedophilia: Oskar knows that he is a paedophile. Under no circumstances does he want to become a perpetrator and stays away from children. This works well until his best friend Maik brings his seven-year-old daughter Lilli to his house. In order not to harm her or himself, he finds an unusual solution. Hille Norden is the winner of the 2020 Schleswig-Holstein Screenplay Award.

Photo: Unsplash/Stephan Henning