Supporting Contemporary German Film: How Triumphant is the Free Market?

Abstract

This article examines the way the film industry is supported in Germany, looking at the complex array of public funding available, the types of films this support tends to produce and what the future might hold for film-makers. I question the claim that the industry has moved from a subsidy-based model, which promoted avant-garde Autorenkino, to a market-driven model that is more in line with Hollywood, with an emphasis on mainstream mass entertainment. Instead, I argue that the industry is more reliant than ever on the public subsidy system, even as this system ostensibly looks to promote a market-oriented approach to film-making.

Keywords:

• film
• Europe
• Germany
• state
• subsidized culture