Documentary by Fatih Akin and horror with Sebastian Bezzel

16.01.2025 | 1.6 million euros for new films and series

At the start of the year, MOIN Film Fund is supporting a total of 19 projects with more than 1.6 million euros. These include the new documentary "Anatolischer Drache" by Fatih Akin and the horror comedy "Body Farm" with Hamburg actor Sebastian Bezzel. In addition, eleven projects in development were supported in the new NEST funding area.

In the Austrian-German co-production Body Farm (Wüste Film, Hamburg), forester Johann, played by Sebastian Bezzel from Hamburg, wants to save his ex-wife Sophia, who is working on her scientific breakthrough in a special forensic research facility in the forest: A mutated slime mould that brings the dead back to life. Some of the crew are from Hamburg.

In her drama Der uneingeladene Gast (Junafilm, Hamburg), Hamburg-based Director Julia Drache ("Watu Wote") follows 30-year-old Jessi, who is travelling from her adopted home of Finland to Germany to say goodbye to her dying father. On board, she meets the fun-loving girl Lu, who has apparently lost her alcoholic father somewhere on holiday. The film will have four days of shooting in Travemünde in autumn 2025. Hamburg Oscar-winner Zamarin Wahdat will be directing the film, with Hamburg-based Andrew Bird ("Into the Fate", "The Seeds of the Sacred Fig Tree") as editor.

In his documentary Anatolischer Drache (Bombero International, Hamburg), Fatih Akin accompanies Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol, who leaves her home in Istanbul to record a new album in the footsteps of her idol Iggy Pop.

Among the other supported filmmakers: German Film Award winner Ayşe Polat, "Die Discounter" makers Bruno Alexander, Emil Belton and Oskar Belton as well as Oscar-nominated Director Katja Benrath ("Watu Wote", "Rocca Changes the World").

FUNDING DECISIONS COMMITTEE HIGH END

Just under 500,000 euros in funding will go to five projects:

Body Farm

Directors + script: Manuel Johns; Michael Fuith; Production company: Wüste Film (Hamburg), Funding: 250,000 euros (production)

Hey, ich bin der kleine Tod! - Aber du kannst auch Frida zu mir sagen

Directors: Katja Benrath; Script: Anne Gröger; Production company: Tellux 1-13 Medienproduktion (Hamburg); Funding: 100,000 euros (production)

Der Gehilfe

Directors + script: Ayşe Polat; Production company: Niko Film (Berlin); Funding amount: 60,000 euros (project development)

Aliens in Plöhm

Directors + script: Bruno Alexander, Emil Belton, Oskar Belton; Production company: ndF Hamburg; Funding amount: 50,000 euros (project development)

The True Story of Earth and Sky

Directors + script: Tomas Vengris; Production company: Heimathafen Film & Media (Hamburg); Funding amount: 30,000 euros (project development)

Find out more about the funded high-end projects here.

The funding decision was made on 26 November 2024: Christian Granderath, Murat Isgüder, Wenka von Mikulicz, Caroline von Senden, Ipek Zübert and Helge Albers.

The High End Committee is responsible for films and series with production costs of over 2.5 million euros and cinema documentaries with production costs of over 1.5 million euros.

FUNDING DECISIONS COMMITTEE DIRECTOR'S CUT

More than 1,000,000 euros in funding will go to nine projects:

Der uneingeladene Gast

Directors + script: Julia Drache; Production company: Junafilm (Hamburg); Funding: 390,000 euros (production)

Superbuhei

Directors: Josef Brandl, script: Josef Brandl, Johannes Becker; Production company: Junifilm (Hanover); Funding: 363,000 euros (production). The film is part of the Nordlichter programme of NDR, nordmedia and MOIN Film Fund.

Anatolischer Drache

Directors + script: Fatih Akin; Production company: Bombero International (Hamburg), Funding: 110,000 euros (production)

Morphe

Directors + script: Hilke Rönnfeldt; Production company: North Ship Film (Bujendorf); Funding amount: 40,000 euros (project development)

The Garden

Directors + script: Ilya Povolotsky; Production company: Yellow Blackbird (Hamburg); Funding amount: 40,000 euros (project development)

Alles auf Anfang

Directors + script: Sven Halfar; Production company: Heimathafen Film & Media (Hamburg); Funding amount: 25,000 euros (project development)

The Rocky Horror Phenomenon

Directors + script: Andreas Zerr; Production company: Stern7 Medienproduktion (Hamburg); Funding amount: 38,000 euros (completion)

Firaki FilmClub 2025

FilmRaum (Hamburg); funding amount: 2,000 euros (screening)

Eine Stadt sieht einen Film 2025

KINEMATHEK Hamburg e.V. Kommunales Kino METROPOLIS; Funding amount: 18,000 euros (screening)

Find out more about the funded Director's Cut projects here.

The funding decision was made on 11 December 2024: Anita Elsani, Sara Fazilat, Gabor Greiner, Timo Großpietsch, Britta Knöller and Helge Albers.

The Director's Cut Committee is responsible for films and series with production costs of less than 3.5 million euros and cinema documentaries with production costs of less than 1.5 million euros.

FUNDING DECISIONS COMMITTEE SHORT FILM

Three short films will receive around 85,000 euros in Fundings:

Sleep Walk

Directors + script: Steffen Goldkamp (Hamburg); funding amount: 40,000 euros (short film)

Meine Mutter als Künstlerin, die nicht gefilmt werden will

Directors + script: Louis Fried (Hamburg); funding amount: 21,500 euros (short film)

Subtil

Directors + script: Vivian Mule and Samila Anyass (Hamburg); funding amount: 23,000 euros (short film)

Find out more about the funded short film projects here.

The funding decisions in the Short Film Committee were made on 2 December 2024: Insa Wiese, Friedrich Tiedtke, Johanna Jannsen and Nicola Jones.

INNOVATIVE FUNDING DECISIONS

Two innovative projects receive funding totalling 45,000 euros.

SWARM

Directors + script: Ula Sowa; Production company: Fabian&Fred (Hamburg); Funding: 25,000 euros (Innovative)

Dans Drauganna

Directors: Nicole Popst; Script: Simon Thummet; Production company: Reynard Films, Leipzig; Funding: 20,000 euros (Innovative)

Find out more about the funded innovative projects here.

The funding decisions in the Innovative Committee were made on 29 November 2024 by Britta Schewe, Lars Rummel, Ralph Heinsohn and Nicola Jones.

The Innovative Committee promotes audiovisual formats ranging from XR experiences and 360-degree films to immersive video installations.

FUNDING DECISIONS NEST

The Script Writers of eight projects in the development stage were selected to take part in a five-day workshop, the "NEST Space", and work together on their script drafts and ideas. Three further projects will receive basic funding in the "NEST Classic" programme.

SPACE participants:

Roma (feature film) by Milena Aboyan

The Otherlings (feature film) by Sinem Sakaoglu

Anastomosis (Innovative) by Tom Lane

The Hero Within (feature film) by Shahab Habibi and Fatemeh Aghabalaghi

Cutting Shadows (feature film) by Eibe Maleen Krebs and Barbara Kloos

The procrastinator (feature film) by Anja Gurres and Manuel Ostwald

Atonement (feature film) by Marc Brummund

Chemnitz judgement (series) by Ali Hakim, Sandra Müller and Max König

NEST Classic

The real north (series), by Hanna Plaß

Dom (series) by Christina Reuter