A total of 7 feature films and 9 series were in the running, and our community from six countries decided which projects stood out this year for their exceptional achievements.

Debut films are a familiar sight for many. However, behind the camera, there is still immense room for “firsts” in Germany.

The ADU – Assistant Directors Union e.V. recently marked an important milestone in addressing this gap: For the first time in the German film industry, a three-day advanced training seminar titled “How to Do Stunts Safely” took place.

Industry professionals gathered to focus on one of the most demanding and high-risk areas of film production. Even with meticulous planning, complex scenes involving falls, explosions, or car chases carry inherent risks of injury. Minimizing these risks starts long before the cameras roll, making proper preparation essential.

The ADU event was held in cooperation with the renowned stunt company Production Concept (read more here…)

The latest open letter from the Fair Film Initiative, which consists of over 30 professional associations and institutions in the German film industry, criticizes the poor production conditions for all professions involved in the German film and television industry. Serious and as yet unresolved problems include stagnating budgets despite rising costs, a brain drain and the resulting drastic compression of shooting schedules. The initiative is calling for more funding for commissioned productions, fair remuneration and working conditions as well as greater support from public broadcasters and politicians. The letter appeals to all those responsible on the side of clients and producers to enter into dialog with the entire industry in order to find sustainable solutions.

You can find the full letter to the directors of ARD and ZDF here.

It’s that time again. The year is coming to an end and the last wraps are being pulled.
This means that the last closing party of the year is just around the corner again in 2024: One Last Wrap – The ADU Christmas Party

With the help of our great sponsors, there will once again be the opportunity to end the year in a brilliant and optimistic way and to celebrate, dance and drink with old and new friends and colleagues.

We will roll out the red carpet of our hearts for you: without networking, pressure and VIP area, but in a great new location with indoor and outdoor areas, great music and the best company.

Who glitters, wins. 🔥

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of the ADU, we had the great pleasure of organizing a discussion panel at this year’s film festival in Munich. The focus lay on “Effective Leadership” in the film industry. The conversation turned into an interesting exchange about what makes a good leader and how to become one.

One of the first chairpersons of the ADU, Inken Janssen (1st AD for e.g. “Herrhausen – The Banker and the Bomb” & “You Are Wanted”),  joined Isabell Šuba (director of e.g. “King of Stonks” & “Blutiger Beton”), Marlen von Heydenaber (production designer of e.g. “Club las Piranjas” & “25 km/h”) and Janine Jackowski (producer and founder Komplizen Film) for a one hour-long discussion. The panel was moderated by Magdalena Rogl.

It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from interesting women in leading positions and to understand how they approach the topic of leadership in today’s world of small budgets and time pressure.

We are looking forward to future events and to continuing this dialog. Many thanks to everyone who attended!

Click on the picture below to see more impressions of the wonderful event!

Together with around 30 other associations and organizations of filmmakers, we are a member of the Fair Film Initiative. On November 7th, the second letter was sent to the Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth. In it, we call on her to finally anchor social sustainability in the new version of the 2024 Film Funding Act. Now that the ecological standards have made it into the FFG, also with pressure from the EU, it is now time to focus on the employees of the funded film projects.

You can find the second letter here.