Goodbye to the German Film and Media Evaluation Board... For Now! 😞
Classification Agency Decisions on Film Rankings - Agency Grades Films for Suitability Ratings
You might be bummed to hear this, but the good ol' German Film and Media Evaluation Board (FBW) is throwing in the towel at the end of 2025! The Hessian Ministry of Culture and the FBW itself made the joint announcement, citing a major drop in the demand for film ratings and an unsustainable financial model as the main reasons. 💔
Founded in 1951, the FBW ran its own film critiquing machine with independent juries granting films the esteemed "valuable" and "particularly valuable" predicates. But it seems even their stellar movie evaluations couldn't save 'em from the cold, hard reality of the changing times. 😉
Last year, a restructuring finance proposal by Hesse was thumbed down by Culture Ministers' Conference in autumn. And now, it looks like the board's youth film jury will soldier on post-2025, even as the main ship sets sail. 💪
With the German government pushing ahead with its ambitious plan to revamp film and media industry policies, the FBW's days are numbered. The new administration aims to ramp up Germany's global filming credentials by crafting new regulatory and funding measures. 🌐
One of the key drivers behind the FBW's closure is the proposed overhaul of the country's film funding landscape. The reform aims to modernize and refine the process of funding and evaluating films, harnessing the power of modern technology and market needs to stay competitive. 🏆
Another game-changer? The introduction of a tax incentive model, echoing the strategies of other European nations. By offering juicy tax deductions on eligible production expenditure, the government hopes to lure more investors into German film-making ventures. 💸
And it doesn't stop there—the reform also targets changing how the industry is financed by imposing investment obligations on Video on Demand (VOD) platforms. This move is part of a larger strategy to tap into the growing revenue pools of these media giants and channel their resources into European productions. 📺
So with new financial incentive structures on the horizon, the FBW's days as king of the hill will be numbered. The aim is to create a leaner, more efficient, and competitive system to support the ever-evolving demands of the film and media industry.
In a nutshell, 2025 marks the beginning of the end for the FBW, as the German government takes bold steps to shake up the film and media funding systems and ensure Germany's continued dominance as a leading filmmaking destination. 🚀💖
- Despite the FBW's notable contributions to film criticism, the changing trends in the industry, coupled with financial constraints, have led to the German government's decision to overhaul the film and media funding systems, which may impact the FBW's continued operation in business and general-news sectors, specifically in Hessen, Germany.
- In an attempt to boost Germany's global filming credentials and maintain its leading position, the government is proposing reforms to modernize and refine the film funding process, aiming to attract more investments through tax incentives for eligible productions and obliging Video on Demand platforms to invest in European productions, potentially affecting the financial model of the FBW.
