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.
THE
DIRECTORS
UNION
The Assistant Directors Union represents the occupational and economical interests of all Assistant Directors, AD-PAs and Regieassistent*Innen working in the fictional movie industry in Germany.

You can find more information about the projects on the ADA website.
Each of these projects represents excellence in organization, leadership, and creative execution. We warmly congratulate all the winners and nominees on their outstanding work!
A big thank-you also goes out to all the members who took part in the voting. Your voices and dedication make the ADAs a vibrant and appreciative platform for our industry.
Let’s continue to highlight, celebrate, and value the work of Assistant Directors and AD teams!
Successful Debut: ADU Hosts First Seminar on ``Filming with Stunts`` in Cooperation with Stunt Company Production Concept – Theory and Practice for Greater Safety on Film Sets
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…)

Open Letter from the Fair Film Initiative to the Directors of Public Broadcasting Institutions in Germany
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.
PAST
🎄 ONE LAST WRAP - TAKE TWO 🎄
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. 🔥

FILMFESTIVAL MUNICH
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!
INITIATIVE FAIR FILM
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.

ADAs 2024
The second season of the ADAs – Assistant Directors Awards – is now open for voting!
From now until April 26th, you have the opportunity to participate in the voting phase and support your favourite nominees.

ADAs 2023



EVALUATION OF THE
On June 01st we released the evaluation of our ADU salary survey 2018 – 2021.
More info: Link

August 19th 2025
City: Cologne
Location: tba
Contact: koeln@ad-union.org
ARCHIVE
June 21st 2025 | 16 - 00 o'clock
City: Berlin
Location: ZK/U
Contact: event@ad-union.org
March 8th 2025
system of work
City: Berlin
Location: Atelier Gardens
Lecturers: Benedict Hoermann (1st AD) & Tobias Pollok (LP)
Contact: training@ad-union.org
March 9th 2025
City: Berlin
Location: Atelier Gardens
January 30th 2025 | 7:30 pm
City: Berlin
Guests: Fabian Döring (Producer/Producer Union) and Florian Singer (Asst. Prop Master/ VdRSD)
Location: Max& Moritz, Kreuzberg
Contact: berlin@ad-union.org
December 15th 2024 | 3pm - 6pm
Location: via Zoom
Friday, 06.12.2024 | 7pm
Location: Cologne
Details: Schulz in Cologne-Neuehrenfeld
Contact: koeln@ad-union.org
06. - 08. December 2024 | 10am - 7pm
Location: Cologne
Lecturers: Benedict Hoermann & Christoph Domanski
Language: German
Contact: training@ad-union.org
29. November - 01.December 2024
Location: Frankfurt
Details: tba
Contact: info@ad-union.org
Friday, 11.10.2024 | 7pm
Location: Berlin
Details: Max& Moritz in Kreuzberg
Contact: berlin@ad-union.org
June 30th 2024 | 3 pm
Location: Amerikahaus Munich, Karolinenplatz 3
Contact: event@ad-union.org
June 30th 2024 | 6 pm
Location: Parkcafé Munich, Sopienstrasse 7
Contact: event@ad-union.org
May, 09th & 11th + May, 18th-19th 2024
Registration: now open
Lecturers: Leslie Fritz (1st AD) & Franca Drewes (1st AD)
Guestlecturer: Hannes Hirsch of Fuzzlecheck
Location: Zoom (09. + 11.05.24) & in Berlin (18. – 19.05.24)
Contact: training@ad-union.org
April 24th, 2024 | 7 pm
March 17th, 2024 | 3 pm
Location: via Zoom
March 08th, 2024 | 7 pm
Location: Goldfischglas – Schanze
March 2nd, 2024 | 5 - 6.30 pm
Registration: January 2024
Lecturers: Anke Werner
Location: via Zoom
Contact: training@ad-union.org
February 16th, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Location: tba
Contact: ijanssen@ad-union.org
February 13th, 2024 | 3.30 - 5 pm
January 20th & 21st + 27th - 29th 2024
Registration: open now
Lecturers: Ann Sophie Heier (2nd AD Crowd), Henriette Rodenwald (2nd AD Crowd) & David Wunderlich (2nd AD Crowd)
Location: Zoom (20. – 21.01.24) & in person (27. – 29.01.24)
Contact: training@ad-union.org
January 26th, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Location: Bar “Intimes”, Boxhagener Str. 107, 10245 Berlin
Contact: ijanssen@ad-union.org
January 10th 2024 | 7 - 9 pm
Guests: Sebastian Fahr-Brix (1st AD), Maria Mehnert (Key 2nd AD), Ann-Sophie Heier (Crowd 2nd AD), Tobias Asam (3rd AD)
Location: via Zoom
Registration: mail to training@ad-union.org
December 29th 2023 | 7:00 pm
Location: Bar Goldfischglas, Bartelsstr. 30, 20357 Hamburg
Contact: ijanssen@ad-union.org
December 3rd 2023 | 3 pm
Location: via Zoom
November 5th 2023 | 5:30 pm
August 20th 2023 | 6 pm
Hosts: Anna Kaiser (AD-PA) & Inken Janssen (1st AD)
Location: via Zoom
Registration: mail to training@ad-union.org
June 30th 2023 | 7:30 pm
Location: Wirtshaus in der Au, Lilienstraße 51, 81669 München
Contact: jeiber@ad-union.org
May 30th 2023 | 6 pm
Guests: Frederike Karsch (Key 2nd AD) & Johanna Hein (Key 2nd AD)
Location: via Zoom
Registration: mail to training@ad-union.org
May 12th 2023 | 7:30 pm
Location: Bar Intimes, Boxhagener 107, 10245 Berlin
Contact: ijanssen@ad-union.org
January 14th & 15th + 20th - 22nd 2023
Registration: open from 11.11.2022
Lecturers: Carlos Fidel (Key 2nd AD) & Gemma Read (Key 2nd AD)
Location: Zoom (14. – 15.01.) & Berlin (20. – 22.01.)
Contact: training@ad-union.org
January 19th 2023 | 7:30 pm
Location: Berlin
Contact: ij@ad-union.org
January 16th 2023 | 7:30 pm
Location: Hamburg
Contact: ij@ad-union.org
04.01.2023 | 7 - 9 pm
Guests: Benedict Hoermann (1st AD), Filip Moravek (Key 2nd AD), Valerie Adamer (Crowd 2nd AD), Viktorie Vavrova (3rd Base AD)
Location: via Zoom
Registration: mail to training@ad-union.org
10.12.2022 | 2 - 6 pm
Location: via Zoom
02.12.2022 | 8 - 10 pm
Guests: Rickie-Lee Roberts (1st AD), Georgina Foley (2nd AD), David Wunderlich (Crowd 2nd AD), Katharina Dietl (1st AD 2nd Unit)
Location: via Zoom
Registration: mail to training@ad-union.org
07.05.2022 | 3 - 8 pm
Topic: structure of the international AD system
Registration: open
Lecturers: Klaus Spinnler & Benedict Hoermann
Location: via Zoom
Contact: training@ad-union.org
08.04.2022
Location: Munich
Registration: ksohler@ad-union.org
27.03.2022
Location: via Zoom
21.02.2022
Hosts: Florian Schwombeck & Benedict Hoermann
Ort: via Zoom
Registration: training@ad-union.org
30.01.2021
Lecturers: Katharina Dietl, Philipp Kramer, Mathias Datow & Korbinian Wandinger
Location: Berliner Union Film Atelier
29.01.2021
Lecturers: Tobi Asam & Mathias Datow
Location: Berliner Union Film Atelier
11.01.2021
Hosts: Julia Eiber & David Wunderlich
12.12.2021
05.12.2021
Hosts: Benedict Hoermann
25.10.2021
Hosts: Kati Sohler & Benedict Hoermann
10.09.2021
08.09.2021
31.07.2021
Lecturers: Benedict Hoermann, Inken Janssen & Sven Blum
23.07.2021
10.07.2021
Host: Stefan Nickel
01.06.2021
Hosts: Benedict Hoermann & Inken Janssen