Christoph Maria Herbst, Rolf Zuckowski and Almila Bagriacik are filming in Hamburg

The first instalment of *Der Buchspazierer* drew over 700,000 cinema-goers in Germany: now the second instalment, Der Buchspazierer und die Liebe (400,000 euros, Wüste Film, Hamburg), is set to follow. Returning to the film are Christoph Maria Herbst as Carl Kollhoff, Yuna Bennett as Schascha, and Ngo The Chau in the director’s chair and behind the camera. The script is by Andi Rogenhagen and novelist Carsten Henn. The comedy, centring on the ‘Book Walker’ Kollhoff – who this time sets off on a grand journey to Italy in memory of his late wife – is scheduled to take nine days of filming in Hamburg and one day in Schleswig-Holstein. Filming is set to begin in September 2026.

A true Hamburg project: Directors Ole Hellwig will be filming his children’s musical Elby’s Christmas Adventure (380,000 euros, Curlypictures, Hamburg) in the Hanseatic city over around 30 days. Also on board as a songwriter and performer is children’s music legend Rolf Zuckowski. In the film, the chaotic Elby is given the most important task of her life: she must deliver the children’s wish lists to Father Christmas in time. Travelling down the River Elbe on a raft, she stumbles into numerous funny, educational and turbulent adventures. The script was written by Hamburg-based writers Henriette Ahrens and Maike Rasch.

In the drama A Little Dream of Me (377,000 euros, Flappers Film & VFX, Hamburg), directed by Hamburg-based director Pascal Schröder, things take a supernatural turn: when Irem falls into a coma following an accident, Johannes uses his own invention – a microchip for dream control – to be able to meet her again in a shared dream world. The script was written by Grimme Award winner Jana Forkel (“Angemessen Angry”) from Hamburg. The cast includes, amongst others, Kostja Ullmann, Şafak Şengül, Henriette Confurius and Merlin Sandmeyer. The film, which is being produced as part of the Nordlichter talent programme run by NDR, nordmedia and the MOIN Film Fund, will involve twelve days of filming in Hamburg and one day in Schleswig-Holstein. Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2026.

Filming for the series Istanbul Princess (350,000 euros, Carsten & Kelber Television, Hamburg), directed by the duo Elsa van Damke and Ozan Mermer, is set to begin in Hamburg on 21 July. The romantic comedy series tells the story of bridal wear sales assistant Gizem and lawyer David. Both live and work in Hamburg and, following a one-night stand, strike a deal: they will get married – not out of love, however, but so that Gizem can take over her parents’ bridal wear business. In return, Gizem keeps a secret that could jeopardise David’s career. The main cast includes, amongst others, Almila Bagriacik and Gustav Schmidt. The idea comes from Caro Ellert and Johanna Gagern, who also wrote the scripts together with Johannes Rothe and Dilan Gülmez.

A bestseller in book form, and now soon to hit the big screen: Directors Hüseyin Tabak and Tahsim Durgun are set to adapt Durgun’s Mama, bitte lern Deutsch (350,000 euros, Constantin Film, Munich) for the screen in Hamburg. The story centres on Tahsim himself, aged between 10 and 15. He loves buttered sweetcorn and Harry Potter, but hates letters – especially those from the immigration authorities. Because his mother, Xatun, can neither speak nor read German, he becomes her interpreter from a young age, navigating waiting rooms, bureaucratic jargon and the threat of deportation. The script was written by Jan Berger in collaboration with Tahsim Durgun.

Also among the funded projects: the first feature film Aliens over Meck-Pomm (250,000 euros, Kleine Brüder, Hamburg) by the “Die Discounter” team of Oskar and Emil Belton and Bruno Alexander, starring, amongst others, Marc Hosemann, Jannis Niewöhner and Thelma Buabeng; as well as the animated films Petronella Apfelmus – The Film (€350,000, Akkord Film, Hamburg) and Acorn’s Adventure (€250,000, Fabian&Fred, Hamburg).

HIGH END FUNDING DECISION

Around 2.2 million euros will be allocated to 13 projects

Der Buchspazierer und die Liebe

Directors: Ngo The Chau; Script: Andi Rogenhagen, Carsten Henn; Production company: Wüste Film, Hamburg; Funding: 400,000 euros (production)

Mama, bitte lern Deutsch

Directors: Hüseyin Tabak; Script: Jan Berger, Tahsim Durgun; Production company: Constantin Film; Funding: 350,000 euros (production)

Istanbul Princess

Directors: Elsa van Damke, Ozan Mermer; Script by: Johanna Gagern, Johannes Rothe, Dilan Gülmez, Caro Ellert; Production company: Carsten & Kelber Television, Hamburg; Funding: 350,000 euros (production)

Petronella Apfelmus – The Film

Directors: Ute von Münchow-Pohl, Felix Schichl; Script: Seraina Nyikos, Claudio Winter; Production company: Akkord Film, Hamburg; Funding: 350,000 euros (production)

Acorn's Adventure

Directors and scriptwriters: Filip Mašek; Production company: Fabian&Fred, Hamburg; Funding: 250,000 euros (production)

Aliens over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Directors and script: Emil Belton, Oskar Belton, Bruno Alexander; Production company: Kleine Brüder, Hamburg; Funding: 250,000 euros (production)

Walsänger 2 – Heart of the Oceans

Directors: Reza Memari; Script: Reza Memari, Jytte-Merle Böhrnsen; Production company: Telescope Animation, Hamburg; Funding: 60,000 euros (project development)

Kleine Geschenke

Directors and scriptwriters: Natja Brunckhorst; Production company: zischlermann filmproduktion, Lübeck; Funding: 20,000 euros (project development)

Frau Winkler verlässt das Haus

Directors and scriptwriters: Doris Dörrie; Distribution company: Wild Bunch Germany, Berlin; Funding: 60,000 euros (distribution)

Adams Acht

Directors: Hannu Salonen; Script: Domenick Pockberger, Stephan Falk; Distribution: Majestic Filmverleih, Berlin; Funding: 45,000 euros (distribution)

Der HEimatlose

Directors and scriptwriters: Kai Stänicke; Distribution company: DCM Pictures, Berlin; Funding: 35,000 euros (distribution)

Call Me Queen

Directors: Emily Atef; Script: Emily Atef, Hawa Essuman, Jeannine Dominy, Josune Hahnheiser; Distribution: Filmreederei, Hamburg; Funding: 25,000 euros (distribution)

Identitti

Directors: Randa Chahoud; Script: Friederike Jehn; Distribution: Alamode Filmdistribution, Munich; Funding: 20,000 euros (distribution)

You can find more information about the funded high-end projects here.

The decision to award the grant was taken on 2 June 2026 by: Murat Isgüder, Ole Kampovski, Wenka von Mikulicz, Caroline von Senden, Ipek Zübert and Helge Albers.

The High End Committee is responsible for films and series with production costs exceeding 2.5 million euros, as well as cinema documentaries with production costs exceeding 1.5 million euros.

FUNDING DECISION: DIRECTOR’S CUT

Just under 1.6 million euros will be allocated to 21 projects.

Elby’s Christmas Adventure

Directors: Ole Hellwig; Script: Henriette Ahrens, Maike Rasch; Production company: Curlypictures, Hamburg; Funding: 380,000 euros (production)

A Little Dream of Me

Directors: Pascal Schröder; Script: Jana Forkel; Production company: Flappers Film & VFX, Hamburg; Funding: 377,000 euros (production)

Allen gefallen

Directors: Lukas Nathrath; Script: Julius Forster; Lukas Nathrath; Production company: Klinkerfilm, Hamburg; Funding: 200,000 euros (production)

Niekas

Directors and script: Ann Carolin Renninger, René Frölke; Production company: joon film, Munkbrarup; Funding: 95,000 euros (production)

Almut Heise - Porträt einer Malerin

Directors and scriptwriters: Nathalie David; Production company: Pitchounproduction, Hamburg; Funding: 80,000 euros (production)

Letztes Licht über Ehrenfeld

Directors and scriptwriters: Mira Vollbrecht; Production company: Moorlicht Filmproduktion, Hamburg; Funding: 75,000 euros (production)

HUM

Directors and scriptwriters: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan; Production company: Oma Inge Film, Hamburg; Funding: 70,000 euros (production)

The Wars We Play

Directors and script: Anton Yaremchuk, João Pedro Prado; Production company: Carousel Film, Potsdam; Funding: 50,000 euros (production)

Fluchtweg

Directors: Sandro Togonidze; Script: Keita Sory Ibrahima, Sandro Togonidze; Production company: Curly Pictures, Hamburg; Funding: 75,000 euros (project development)

Mein Name ist Fremde

Directors and scriptwriters: Milena Aboyan; Production company: Wüste Film, Hamburg; Funding: 50,000 euros (project development)

Until the Day ends

Directors: Jelena Maksimović; Script: Ivan Salatić, Jelena Maksimović, Olga Dimitrijević; Production company: Kelek Film, Hamburg; Funding: 37,000 euros (post-production)

Sternbrücke Forever

Directors and script writers: Christian Hortung; Distribution company: jip film & verleih, Frankfurt am Main; Funding: 30,000 euros (distribution)

Superbuhei

Directors and script writers: Josef Brandl; Distribution company: barnsteiner-film, Ascheffel; Funding: 20,000 euros (distribution)

Roya

Directors and scriptwriters: Mahnaz Mohammadi; Distribution company: Little Dream Pictures, Hamburg; Funding amount: 15,000 euros (distribution)

Zeise Open Air 2026

Cinema: Zeise Kinos; grant amount: 10,000 euros

SchanzenKino Open Air 2026

Cinema: SchanzenKino73 / Outdoor Cine; grant amount: 8,000 euros

FilmRaum Open Air 2026

Cinema: FilmRaum; grant amount: 7,500 euros

Series of programmes on female film editors

Cinema: Kinemathek Hamburg e.V. Metropolis Municipal Cinema; grant amount: 6,000 euros

2026/2027 Postcard Campaign

Cinema: Lichtmeß e.V., an association for fundings in the field of video and film art; grant amount: 4,500 euros

Retrospective: Gisela Tuchtenhagen

Cinema: B-Movie Kino Kulturinitiative auf St. Pauli e.V.; grant amount: 4,300 euros

Cine Cubano 2026

Cinema: 3001 Kino; grant amount: 2,800 euros

You can find more information about the funded Director’s Cut projects here.

The decision to award the grant was taken on 17 June 2026 by: Vanessa Ciszewski, Britta Knöller, Sabine Steyer-Violet, Gabor Greiner, Timo Großpietsch and Helge Albers.

The Director's Cut Committee is responsible for films with production costs of less than 2.5 million euros, as well as cinema documentaries with production costs of less than 1.5 million euros.

FUNDING DECISION FOR SHORT FILMS

97,000 euros will be allocated to four projects.

Elias

Directors and scriptwriters: Johanna Jannsen-Lafrenz; Producer: Johanna Jannsen-Lafrenz, Flensburg; Funding: 32,000 euros

Bären ohne Visa

Directors: Claudia Tuyet Scheffel; Script: Claudia Tuyet Scheffel, Nghirm Quynh Trang; Production company: a group therapy film, Hamburg; Funding: 25,000 euros

Yuru-Kyara

Directors and script writers: Sarah Drath; Producer: Sarah Drath, Hamburg; Grant amount: 20,000 euros

Wurzeln in der Stadt

Directors and scriptwriters: Jörn Staeger; Production: Jörn Staeger Filmproduktion, Hamburg; Funding: 20,000 euros

You can find more information about the funded short film projects here.

The funding decisions were taken by the short film Committee on 22 June 2026: Hilke Rönnfeldt, Jannis Alexander Kiefer, Steffen Goldkamp and Nicola Jones.

INNOVATIVE FUNDING DECISION

34,000 euros will go to two projects.

DeMare

Directors and scriptwriters: Emilia Sanchez Chiquetti; Production company: Actrio Studio, Leipzig; Funding: 25,000 euros

I Dreamt of Fire

Directors and script: Marie Delprat, Thomas Lane; Producer: Thomas Lane, Hamburg; Funding: 9,000 euros

You can find more information about the funded innovative projects here.

The funding decisions were taken by the Innovation Committee on 23 June 2026: Lars Rummel, Rocco Helmchen, Konstantina Orlandatou and Nicola Jones.

NEST FUNDING DECISION

In the latest NEST funding decisions, 584,524 euros were awarded to 10 projects. Since last year, the decision has been made by the NEST Community. Find out more about the process.

NEST Space

Before I Cry (feature film) by Letícia Milano

DJINI (Innovative) by Thomas Lane

Moving (feature film) by Kai Ro Liao

Neue Heimat (feature film) by Martin Behnke and Gregor Eisenbeiß

Story of A. (Documentary) by Carolin Genreith

Tätertherapie (feature film) by Hille Norden

The Blind Man's Odyssey (feature film) by Rosanne Pel

Premiere of (feature film) by Tamara Denić

Wake me up (when it’s all over)  (series) by Miriam Suad Bühler and Jasmin Luu

Winter (feature film) by Maj-Britt Klenke