At their first meeting on July 4 2019, in Kassel, Germany, more than 60 German film festivals joined forces to found a film festival association (AG Filmfestival). The aim of the association is to network with each other, to create better conditions for film festivals in Germany and, together with filmmakers and other associations, to strengthen and promote film culture. The founding members include the largest and oldest film festivals in Germany, and festivals from all regions and sectors.
Film festivals are at the beginning of the film exploitation chain; they define themselves both as part of the film industry and of the cultural practice of cinema and its mediation. In Germany alone there are around 400 film festivals, worldwide there are several thousand. In terms of scope and impact, German film festivals represent a substantial factor in the commercial viability of German films in the cinema, and their share in the theatrical promotion of German productions will increase further in the coming years. In contrast to the dwindling number of cinema-goers, film festivals are experiencing a steady increase in demand. Film festivals play a central role in the efforts to make the theatrical exploitation of German films more attractive.
In a statement on the amendment of the Filmfoerderungsgesetz (FFG – German Film Promotion Act), the AG Filmfestival demands: “The amendment of the FFG must answer the question of how cinemas can be upgraded as a viewing and promotion location for films and what significance cinemas should have in the future spectrum of commercial viability contexts. Moreover, film festivals make a considerable contribution to the social upgrading of cinema spaces. As a result, cinemas also profit indirectly through cinema awards from the realisation of film festivals. However, in the amendment of the Filmfoerderungsgesetz the festivals’ voices have so far not been heard at all. In future, film festivals must be given greater consideration in the FFG, even when their viewpoint has many points of contact with the producers and cinema operators”. (Quote Preamble Statement AG Filmfestival)
Contact:
Website: www.ag-filmfestival.de
E-mail: info@ag-filmfestival.de
AG Filmfestival (dated 10 August 2022):
20minmax Internationales Kurzfilmfestival Ingolstadt
abgedreht! – Hamburgs junger Film
achtung berlin – new berlin film award
Afrika Film Festival Köln
AFRIKAMERA – Zeitgenössisches Kino aus Afrika
Ake Dikhea Roma Filmfestival
Around The World in 14 Films Festival
Berlin Feminist Film Week
Berlin Lesbian Non-Binary Filmfest (BLN)
Biberacher Filmfestspiele
Biennale Bavaria – Festival des neuen Heimatfilms
blicke.filmfestival des ruhrgebiets
Braunschweig International Film Festival
Bundes.Festival.Film.
Bundesfestival junger Film
cinefest – Internationales Festival des deutschen Film-Erbes
CINEMARE Internationales Meeresfilmfestival Kiel
Darßer NaturfilmFestival – Verleihung Deutscher NaturfilmPreis
der NEUE HEIMAT film
Deutsches Kinder Medien Festival Goldener Spatz
DOK Leipzig
DOK.fest München
dokKa – das Dokumentarfestival
Dokville Branchentreff
DOKUARTS
Duisburger Filmwoche / doxs! dokumentarfilme für kinder und jugendliche
Essener Video Rodeo
Equinale
European Media Art Festival, Osnabrück
exground filmfest
Favourites Film Festival
Festival des deutschen Films Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Filmfest Bremen
FILMFEST DRESDEN – International Short Film Festival
FILMFEST HAMBURG
FILMFEST MÜNCHEN
FilmFestival Cottbus
Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis
Filmfestival Münster
Filmfestival Türkei Deutschland
FILMKUNSTFEST MV (Schwerin)
Filmkunstwochen München
Filmplus – Festival für Filmschnitt und Montagekunst
Filmschau Baden-Württemberg
FILMZ – Festival des deutschen Kinos
filmzeitkaufbeuren
FiSH Filmfestival im StadtHafen Rostock
Filmfest FrauenWelten
Französische Filmtage Tübingen | Stuttgart
Freiburger Filmforum – Festival of Transcultural Cinema
FÜNF SEEN FILMFESTIVAL
Furora Film Festival
GENRENALE – Das Forum des Deutschen Genrefilms
German International Ethnographic Film Festival
goEast – Festival des mittel- und osteuropäischen Films
GREEN SCREEN – Internationales Naturfilmfestival Eckernförde
Human Rights Film Festival Berlin
INDEPENDENT DAYS|Internationale Filmfestspiele Karlsruhe
Indisches Film Festival Stuttgart
interfilm – international short film festival Berlin
International Short Film Festival Detmold
International Uranium Film Festival (IUFF) Berlin
Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin
Internationale Hofer Filmtage
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen
Internationale Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney
International Filmfestival Cologne
Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg
Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
Internationales Frauenfilmfestival Dortmund / Köln
Internationales Kurzfilmfestival Landau – La.Meko
Internationales Nürnberger Filmfestival der Menschenrechte
Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart
Internationales Trickfilmfestival Wiesbaden
Jetzt oder Nie Filmtage Friedrichshafen
Jüdisches Filmfestival Berlin & Brandenburg
Jugendfilmpreis Baden-Württemberg
Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest
KINO DER KUNST
Kinofest Lünen
Kölner Kinderfilmfest CINEPÄNZ
Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg
Kurzfilmfestival Köln
Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival
LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International
LUCAS – Internationales Festival für junge Filmfans
Monstronale
MOVE IT! Filmfestival für Menschenrechte und Entwicklung
moving history – Festival des historischen Films
Musikfilmtage Oberaudorf
NaturVision Filmfestival
Neiße Filmfestival
Nippon Connection – Japanisches Filmfestival
Nordische Filmtage Lübeck
Open Air Filmfest Weiterstadt
OpenEyes Filmfest Marburg
Obscura Filmfestival
Orscheler Filmfest
QUEER Filmfest Weiterstadt
Remake. Frankfurter Frauen Film Tage
SCHLINGEL – Internationales Filmfestival für Kinder und junges Publikum
Schülerfimfestival-NRW
Seriencamp Festival & Conference
SoundTrack Cologne
Soundwatch Music Film Festival Berlin
Studierenden Film Festival Sehsüchte
Stummfilmfestival Karlsruhe
Stuttgarter Filmwinter
styxX – queer short film festival
TWO RIVERS: CROSS-CULTURAL DOCUMENTARY CINEMA KOBLENZ
SWR Doku Festival
Unabhängiges FilmFest Osnabrück
UNDERDOX dokument & experiment
up-and-coming Internationales Film Festival Hannover
Werkleitz Festival
Werkstatt der Jungen Filmszene
Woche der Kritik
XPOSED International Queer Film Festival Berlin
ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival