Press

Hamburg/Berlin/Istanbul, 20.11.25 - The German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund of Medienboard, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and Meetings on the Bridge - the co-production platform of the Istanbul Film Festival - is supporting ten film projects that are being developed in cooperation between Turkish and German production companies.

The MOIN committees are funding a total of 31 projects with 3.1 million euros in their latest funding round. The highest sum went to the family adventure "Miniatur Wunderland" - with 1.1 million euros in funding and 23 days of filming in the region.

German FIlms and Göteborg Film Festival have announced that Germany is the official focus country of the upcoming Nordic Film Market and TV Drama Vision. The Market and Drama Vision are part of the Gothenburg Film Festival Industry. This focus will bring a diverse selection of German Executive Producers, funds and key decision makers to Gothenburg to forge new connections and deepen co-operation between the audiovisual institutions of the Nordic countries and Germany.

Two of the coveted prizes at the Venice International Film Festival went to MOIN-funded productions on Saturday evening: The "Lion of the Future - Luigi De Laurentiis Award" for best debut went to "Short Summer" by Nastia Korkia. Actress Luna Wedler received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actress for her outstanding performance in "Silent Friend".

The first Nordic NEST is about to launch! Together with the German Federal Film Board (FFA) and the German Producers Alliance, MOIN Film Fund and the Five Nordics are inviting 60 experienced producers from Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland to the kick-off event in Hamburg

From 2026, the previous "Filmtage Köln" will take place in Hamburg for the first time, where it will be further developed into a joint, integrated industry event in a new form and under a new name with the HDF's KINO film theatre congress, which will also come to Hamburg from 2026. Hamburg is thus continuing to grow as a film and media location.

On Tuesday evening, the MOIN Film Fund celebrated its annual industry get-together "MOIN Midsummer" at Kampnagel in Hamburg with around 1,000 guests. Among those on the red carpet were the team from Fatih Akin's Cannes film "Amrum", Oscar nominee İlker Çatak, actors Bjarne Mädel, Pheline Roggan and Director Sönke Wortmann, who has just shot his film "Die Ältern" in the Hanseatic city.

At the Cannes International Film Festival, the film "Once Upon a Time in Gaza" by twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser was honoured with the directing prize in the "Un Certain Regard" section. Two of the co-producers, Riva Filmproduktion and Red Balloon Film, are from Hamburg.

Two years in a row at the Oscars, Fatih Akin on his way to Cannes and 10 million euros more in the budget: the film north remains on course for success and is setting new industry impulses throughout Germany with initiatives such as NEST and OMNI, as the MOIN Film Fund's balance sheet for 2024 shows.

Three MOIN-funded productions will celebrate their world premieres at the 78th Festival de Cannes in May: As announced today, Fatih Akin's new feature film "Amrum" will be shown in the prestigious "Cannes Première" section. Romeria" by Carla Simón will screen in the official competition and "Once Upon a Time in Gaza" by Tarzan and Arab Nasser in the Un Certain Regard section.

A strong start to the new year: the High End Committee of the MOIN Film Fund awarded around 3.6 million euros to 13 projects in its first funding session in 2025. These include a supernatural love story by Fatih Akin with around 40 days of filming in the funding region and Lars Jessen's "Walk to Syracuse" with Charly Hübner.

On Saturday, 15 February, the Hamburg Senate and MOIN Film Fund invited the Hamburg film industry to Tea Time at the Hamburg State Representation in Berlin as part of the Berlinale. Among the guests were the "Yunan" actors Hanna Schygulla, Sibel Kekilli and Tom Wlaschiha as well as cult director Fatih Akin. Also present: the "Die Discounter" team around Marc Hosemann and Merlin Sandmeyer as well as leading actor Hans Löw from the competition film "Mother's Baby".

No fewer than four North German productions will be shown in this year's 75th Berlinale programme - two of them even in the Competition: the drama "Yunan" by Hamburg Director Ameer Fakher Eldin with Hanna Schygulla, Sibel Kekilli and Tom Wlaschiha was shot on a Hallig in Schleswig-Holstein. The international co-production "Mother's Baby" by filmmaker Johanna Moder was shot in the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, among other locations.

The next step on the Oscar podium has been taken: Directors and Hamburg resident Mohammad Rasoulof is on the shortlist for the foreign Oscar with his drama "The Seeds of the Sacred Fig". The Cannes film, produced in Hamburg, is in the running for Germany and now has to prevail against 14 other international films.

Hamburg, 11 November 2024 - Hamburg Media School and MOIN Film Fund's GetOnSet programme has entered its third year with 14 new film trainees. The practice-oriented training on the film set and in post production offers career changers an optimal entry into the film industry and actively promotes more diversity. This is demonstrated by the anonymous application process and the high demand. Once again, over 180 applications were received.

Lübeck, 04.11.24 – Mit den Nordischen Filmtagen widmet sich Lübeck vom 6. bis 10. November ganz der Filmkunst im Norden. Mit 18 MOIN-geförderten Projekten im Programm bietet das Festival ein breites Spektrum: Mit dabei sind die Schleswig-Holsteinischen Regisseurinnen Pola Rader und Hille Norden, ein Film über den Lübecker Schriftsteller Thomas Mann und das Langfilmdebut “Der Fleck” des Hamburgers Willy Hans.

Culture Senator Dr Carsten Brosda presented the Hamburg Cinema Awards 2024 at the traditional Koralle cinema in Volksdorf on Wednesday evening. The prizes, worth a total of 100,000 euros, went to 15 arthouse and district cinemas. A special prize was also awarded to "A Wall is a Screen", which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023.

After his escape from Iran and the acclaimed premiere in Cannes, the next important milestone for Director Mohammad Rasoulof from Hamburg follows: As German Films announced today, the film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig", produced in the Hanseatic city, will enter the race for the Best International Feature Film.

The shooting of İlker Çatak's new feature film "Yellow Letters" came to an end on Wednesday. The Director of the Oscar-nominated film "The Teachers' Lounge" has been filming in Hamburg and the surrounding area over the past few weeks. Hamburg's Senator for Culture and Media, Dr Carsten Brosda, visited the film set on the last day of shooting.

The Short Film and Innovative Committees of the MOIN Film Fund awarded 161,000 euros to four projects at the current meeting. These include the Icelandic co-production "Deep Sea Blue" by Hilke Rönnfeldt from Schleswig-Holstein and the interactive VR experience "Golems" by Kiel-based XR artists Deborah and Dennis Reinmüller.

Red carpet and the latest film funding figures: On Tuesday, the northern film industry came together for the annual "MOIN Midsummer" festival at Kampnagel. Around 1,000 guests from film and TV, culture and politics included Cannes winner Mohammad Rasoulof, the "Sløborn" team Aaron Hilmer and Emily Kusche as well as "Die Discounter" Emil Belton, Oskar Belton and Bruno Alexander. Lots of information was provided by MOIN CEO Helge Albers and Senator for Culture Dr Carsten Brosda, who reviewed the film year to date.

The EXPLORER KONFERENZ will kick off this year's FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS for the fifth time as part of FILMFEST HAMBURG and will be dedicated to the topic of "Risk & Reward" on 30 September 2024.

The 77th Cannes International Film Festival begins today, tuesday. It is currently unclear whether directors Mohammad Rasoulof, who lives in Hamburg and Iran, will be able to attend the world premiere of his MOIN-funded film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" in person. Hamburg's Senator for Culture Dr Carsten Brosda, MOIN Film Fund and FILMFEST HAMBURG express their solidarity.

At its current meeting, the Director's Cut Committee of the MOIN Film Fund awarded around 900,000 euros to eight projects, including the feature film debut of Hamburg-based directing duo Nicolaas Schmidt and Anne Döring and the drama "Hercules Falling" with "Game of Thrones" actor Dar Salim.