Film culture check for the federal election: Visions can become reality!

Film culture check for the federal election: Visions can become reality!

So that you know what you're voting for when you put your cross in the box on September 26, we've asked seven parties eight questions about their visions of the future of cinema and film culture, so-called election touchstones.

Our questions are critical, because we take a critical look at the state of German cinema. We would like to see more artistic diversity in German film and believe a paradigm shift in our film culture is urgently needed. We are the Initiative Zukunft Kino+Film, an association of professional associations, interest groups and networks.

1. What value does your party place on film and cinema culture in the context of the arts? Will you advocate for an increase in the film budget in the culture budget?

For the CDU and CSU, federal film funding stands for the quality and diversity of filmmaking in Germany and Europe. This must be preserved and developed further. We are strengthening Germany as a film location and thus not only culture, but also an important economic factor. To this end, we are continuing to promote film and will coordinate the funding instruments of the federal and state governments and the German Federal Film Board more closely. With the Future Cinema Program, we want to support culture in rural areas in particular.

Yes, we want an increase in the film budget to support community cinemas, for example, by developing regional audience engagement strategies. In the context of the arts, film and cinema culture is enormously important to us. The medium of film is a complex art form that transcends borders and genres and is a cultural educational asset. It fuses different art forms such as the aesthetics of specific visual languages, acting, dramaturgy or even music. Cinema is also more than an economic exploitation window. Cinema is a place of cultural practice, because in the movie theater people are brought together to deal with historical, socially relevant and political issues and to experience new self-experiences through artistic-aesthetic perceptions.

Film and cinemas are important parts of German cultural heritage. They make a significant contribution to Germany's cultural image in the world. We want to preserve our diverse cinema landscape by permanently establishing cinema funding, which we want to develop both in terms of investments and programs. We want to promote the production of audiovisual content in Germany in order to maintain viable jobs and create new ones. We will develop future concepts for film funding together with the film community.

As one of the eleven subsectors of the culture and creative industries, the film industry is very important to us. We have therefore made it clear in the Bundestag election program that we want to strengthen the cultural and creative industries as an important economic sector and innovation driver.

The Group of the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag has also made this clear in the last six months through two motions: "The silver screen remains irreplaceable - For the survival of the German film and cinema industry" (BT-Drs. 19/27823) and "Future for great cinema - German film funding in the European context" (BT-Drs. 19/27822).

In our view, a joint initiative by policymakers and the cinema, film, production and creative industries is needed to make film funding comparable across Europe, unbureaucratic and flexible. We need to take a closer look at funding systems and market needs in order to reach decisions. For example, we can also imagine examining in a first step the extent to which a conversion of film funding to the Hungarian tax relief system or the British system of tax credits would appear to make sense for the national German market. In a second step, it would have to be examined what level of a possible tax rebate would be target-oriented and adequate from a European perspective.

Moving images are a defining cultural medium, and it is impossible to imagine our everyday lives without film, not only as entertainment, but also as a social resonance and discussion space. Cinemas are the public cultural venues that are indispensable for a media-appropriate reception and the aesthetic experience of what film is all about. We Greens have always welcomed an increase in the cultural budget because of the importance of culture for democracy. An increase in the budget for film funding within the cultural budget would be justified by the broad range of tasks: from safeguarding film heritage to promoting the development of ideas and material to promoting distribution. It would have to be considered in the context of the needs of other sectors.

We want to cultivate and promote art and culture, preserve tradition and customs, and safeguard the spiritual values of our homeland for future generations. This includes the preservation and maintenance of monuments such as castles and palaces, museums and galleries, movie theaters, orchestras and music societies, as well as libraries and archives.

Cinemas are part of our basic cultural services. As a low-threshold point of contact for all levels of society, the cinema contributes to cultural identity with its (German) film diversity. We want to revive and further strengthen this structure after the Corona crisis. (See also the answer to question 5).

2. Do you and your party advocate a separate ministry for culture? If so, do you plan to assign the film subsidies of the BKM Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the FFA to this ministry? Do you plan to strengthen cultural film funding, and if so, how?

Yes, we want an increase in the film budget to support community cinemas, for example, by developing regional audience engagement strategies. In the context of the arts, film and cinema culture is enormously important to us. The medium of film is a complex art form that transcends borders and genres and is a cultural educational asset. It fuses different art forms such as the aesthetics of specific visual languages, acting, dramaturgy or even music. Cinema is also more than an economic exploitation window. Cinema is a place of cultural practice, because in the movie theater people are brought together to deal with historical, socially relevant and political issues and to experience new self-experiences through artistic-aesthetic perceptions.

Yes, we have long been calling for a federal minister of culture with cabinet rank and a ministry of culture to represent the interests of culture more effectively vis-à-vis other ministries and at the European level. In this context, we want to assign the entire film funding of the BKM and FFA to the Ministry of Culture.

Cultural policy is primarily a matter for the states and municipalities; they are responsible for most of the cultural institutions that determine the lives of local people. The task of federal cultural policy must be to support the cities and municipalities in these tasks. We want to breathe life into cooperative cultural federalism - with concrete and dedicated cooperation in the interests of the arts. Our goal is to better coordinate federal cultural policy initiatives with the respective regional circumstances and, if possible, to dovetail them so closely that the federal government, the states and the municipalities effectively work together instead of side by side to strengthen culture. We want to further develop the top-level cultural policy talks into a nationwide cultural plenum, in which cultural actors and associations as well as representatives of civil society are represented alongside municipalities, states and the federal government (BKM, AA).

A "Dialogue on Culture for the Future" is to be organized here, in which challenges can be strategically addressed. We also want to secure the status of culture by giving the Commissioner for Culture and the Media ministerial rank in the Chancellor's Office.

It is important that the cultural and creative industries have clear contacts and receive the best possible support.

In addition, we refer to our answer to question 1.

We GRÜNE are in favor of a national objective for culture. We think a federal ministry of culture makes sense if it bundles the different responsibilities in the field of culture in the various ministries (foreign affairs, economy, interior...). We believe that cultural support, in addition to economic support, will continue to be particularly important in the future, because we are aware that film is not only an economic asset, but also a cultural asset. At the same time, we want to disentangle the structures of TV stations and a multitude of committees in favor of criteria-based, automatic funding and focus our attention more on the promotion of materials and scripts as well as young talent.

No, we don't think a separate ministry is necessary. With the Minister of State for Culture and the Media, the cross-cutting issue of culture is well positioned.

3. How do you envision future-oriented support for cinemas at the federal level? To what extent is there a need for a holistic concept to support the various players in film exploitation?

Joint answer to questions 3, 4 and 5:

With a major amendment to the Film Promotion Act, we want to strengthen the German film and cinema industry in the long term and thus promote the success of German film at home and abroad. To this end, the CDU and CSU support a uniform funding approach for major national and international film and series productions (to this extent, merging the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) and the German Film Fund II (DFFFII)) in order to be able to make optimal use of the economic incentive function of the funding instruments for Germany as a business location.

As LINKE, we wanted to promote the cinema as a place of cultural practices. Cultural work in cinemas is target group-oriented and must be decentralized and site-specific. With a separate program, the FFA should support cinema projects that develop regional strategies for attracting and maintaining audiences. The cultural and media policy relevance of community cinemas - especially in rural areas - should not be underestimated. The nationwide existence of cinemas must be evaluated and a concept for institutionalized support of community cinemas must be developed. In order to develop a holistic funding concept that takes different actors into account, the entire complex funding system must be scrutinized and cross-sectoral discussions must be held along the criteria of innovation of funding goals, funding instruments and funding structures.

We want to preserve our diverse cinema landscape by permanently establishing cinema funding, which we want to structure both in terms of investments and programs. A sustainable funding basis is necessary to successfully lead cinemas into the future and to ensure the regional presence of cinemas as cultural venues. In terms of economic film funding, we want to better integrate the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF 1+2) and the German Motion Picture Fund under the umbrella of the Federal Film Board (FFA). Coordination between state funding and the FFA is to be improved. The aim is to provide film funding "from a single source". This also applies to funding for artistically outstanding films.

We need a holistic concept, that's indisputable: Usage habits have changed fundamentally. We are dealing with declining attendance figures in cinemas in the face of changed viewer and user behavior. With private streaming providers, new global players are dominating a permanently growing streaming market. The streaming providers' own productions are in no way inferior to conventional theaters, although they are primarily watched on mobile devices or in the living room at home. The German film industry can no longer escape this competition.

The motion by the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag, "Future for great cinema - German film funding in the European context" (BT-Drs. 19/27822), sets the context: The realities for the national as well as international film industry require a fundamental amendment of film funding so that the German film industry can remain competitive in the European and international arena.

To strengthen the cinema industry and Germany as a film and media location, we need a fundamental revision of the Film Funding Act (FFG) that rebalances quality and quantity and sets new impulses. The niche existence of funding via the FFG by the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) between BKM funding and regional funding must be dissolved.

We are experiencing a rapid change in production and distribution forms: Cinemas are increasingly competing with streaming platforms. What needs to be discussed is whether such platforms can be required to pay a solidarity contribution along the lines of the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) levy. In principle, all industries that profit from film should pay into the FFA fund. This levy is necessary to maintain cinemas as places of aesthetic experience in the future. In our view, support for distribution is also currently coming up short, since functioning distribution is indispensable for the success of a film.</div>We GRÜNE are in favor of a national objective for culture. We think a federal ministry of culture makes sense if it bundles the different responsibilities in the field of culture in the various ministries (foreign affairs, economy, interior...). We believe that cultural support, in addition to economic support, will continue to be particularly important in the future, because we are aware that film is not only an economic asset, but also a cultural asset. At the same time, we want to disentangle the structures of TV stations and a multitude of committees in favor of criteria-based, automatic funding and focus our attention more on the promotion of materials and scripts as well as young talent.

Against the backdrop of the Corona pandemic, film exploitation in Germany needs to be reorganized. The current draft amendment to the Film Subsidies Act is already providing the first real impetus in this regard. The shortening/elimination of blocking periods has made film exploitation more flexible. However, the elimination of theatrical exploitation must be reflected in clear and adequate participation by the theatrical industry in the revenues generated on other platforms.

4. What role do you attach to film education? What structures and resources will you create for this at the federal level?

Joint answer to questions 3, 4 and 5:

With a major amendment to the Film Promotion Act, we want to strengthen the German film and cinema industry in the long term and thus promote the success of German film at home and abroad. To this end, the CDU and CSU support a uniform funding approach for major national and international film and series productions (to this extent, merging the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) and the German Film Fund II (DFFFII)) in order to be able to make optimal use of the economic incentive function of the funding instruments for Germany as a business location.

Film education is an important component of media education. It imparts knowledge about visual culture, helps to understand films as cultural educational assets and to contextualize them in their time. In this way, film education helps young and old to better orient themselves in the media world. Age-appropriate film education must be anchored within the framework of both school and non-school media education. In this way, students should be taught how to deal with films critically, creatively and, not least, enjoyably. To this end, the range of film education and training opportunities must be expanded and appealing learning material must be offered on a regular basis. Local cinemas could become the primary venue for film education in and out of school.

Film education is an important part of media education. It aims at the acquisition of media competence and provides children and young people in particular with knowledge for a critical, creative and, last but not least, enjoyable handling of films. Due to the responsibility of the federal states for the topic of education, film education is primarily realized through the ministries of education and cultural affairs of the federal states. Important projects here include the "SchulKinoWochen" program. As a matter of principle, we are committed to good all-day schools in the school sector, which can offer plenty of time for joint learning and, for example, project funding with first-class equipment. Film education, for example, could also be taken up here. We want to open up spaces for interdisciplinary skills acquisition and thinking in contexts. This also includes strengthening project- and competence-oriented learning and giving it significantly more space.

We see film education as an important component of cultural education. Here, for example, "Vision Kino" does excellent work. We consider the support of the BKM, the FFA, the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek and the "Kino macht Schule" GbR, consisting of various associations of the film industry, to be successful. After all, film education is always a collaborative task.

We will examine further structural and resource changes. We Free Democrats want to strengthen cultural education.

Like theater, visual arts and literature, we GRÜNE also consider film to be an educational asset about which knowledge should already be imparted in school. We advocate the creation of a federal center for digital and media education, which would take care of the financial and conceptual creation and support of media education, digital education and information technology projects and act as a low-threshold contact point for educational professionals and interested parties. It is also to provide suitable material and offer pedagogical-didactic advice.

For us, film education is an important building block in the acquisition of media skills by children and young people. Cinematic diversity can also be used pedagogically beyond the frequently cited film canon and educational films to convey cultural characteristics and ideas in school lessons. Through the film subsidies of the states, regional characteristics can thus also be conveyed through the medium of film. To this end, after the Corona pandemic, which prevented production in many regions of Germany, we want to further expand film funding by strengthening the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF and DFFF II).

5. Does the current FFG do justice to the challenges and developments of our time? Should the German film funding system be reformed or fundamentally redesigned?

Joint answer to questions 3, 4 and 5:

With a major amendment to the Film Promotion Act, we want to strengthen the German film and cinema industry in the long term and thus promote the success of German film at home and abroad. To this end, the CDU and CSU support a uniform funding approach for major national and international film and series productions (to this extent, merging the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) and the German Film Fund II (DFFFII)) in order to be able to make optimal use of the economic incentive function of the funding instruments for Germany as a business location.

The current amendment to the FFG does not do justice to the current challenges. Although the draft rightly aims at fair working conditions, approaches to gender equality, diversity and sustainability, the accentuations mentioned need to be supplemented and sharpened in order to achieve effective improvements for the film industry, those working in the film sector and ultimately also the film audience. In our view, the shortened term of the new FFG amendment must be used urgently for fundamental reforms of the film funding system. Film funding should ensure more than the proverbial "German committee film" and strengthen the cinema as a democratizing cultural venue for artistic-aesthetic mediation, for entertainment, discourse, emotions, change of perspective and learning experiences.

We want to improve film funding by the FFA and, with a fundamental amendment to the Film Funding Act, reform the revenue base for filmmakers, support the international traction and appeal of German films, preserve film heritage and make decision-making bodies more efficient.

In its motion on the small FFG amendment 2021 "Future for great cinema - German film funding in the European context" (BT-Drs. 19/27822), the FDP parliamentary group proposed using the deadline extension of the FFG to prepare and implement necessary major reforms of film funding in Germany. In the medium and long term, the funding systems of the BKM and FFA should be merged and dissolved in return for the introduction of a uniform incentive system with, for example, tax breaks, grants or tax credits.

In general, the German film funding system has become imbalanced. The Film Funding Act (FFG) dates back to pre-digital times and is in urgent need of reform. The fact that the major amendment was recently postponed is understandable in view of the fact that no one knows how the film industry will stand after the Corona crisis, but it is not very forward-looking. The film industry needs perspective, especially with regard to blocking periods. We Greens demand that these can be flexibly adjusted not only in exceptional cases, but in the future always be regulated in the guidelines of the film funding agency. Supported German films must not be allowed to fall behind international productions because of their cascade of exploitation.

The current draft amendment to the Film Subsidies Act is already providing the right impetus here. However, we see a tendency towards over-bureaucratization of film productions. The planned requirements for the ecologically sustainable production of films (CO2 calculator) must not lead to an excessive burden.

We want to compensate cinema operators for the drop in sales caused by the Corona pandemic by means of a compensation law for lockdown victims.

The German film subsidy system must be standardized. In our opinion, the application and calculation of subsidies is too bureaucratic. Film funding at the state level is distributed among more than 20 film offices, film companies and associations. This regional funding contributes to the representation of partly regional characteristics. However, there is a lack of sufficient coordination among them. The sometimes prevailing double financing of films that are only partially produced in Germany must be reformed. To this end, we support the study mentioned in the following question to evaluate the current practice of film funding.

6. Would you support the creation of an independent study to evaluate the current market situation and film funding practices?

CDU and CSU are open to the preparation of an independent study to evaluate the current market situation and the practice of film promotion.

Yes, we would support commissioning an independent study to evaluate the current economic situation and the entire film funding system. See also answer to question 3.

Yes, a close examination of the market changes accelerated by the pandemic and the effectiveness of film support mechanisms is urgently needed. There can be no more "business as usual." Cinemas are the engine of the film industry. Every seat that is lost means permanently reduced revenues and thus lasting economic damage for the German film industry.

In its motion "Future for great cinema - German film funding in the European context" (BT-Drs. 19/27822), the parliamentary group of the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag called for a comparative study to be prepared by the German government together with representatives from the field as well as academia and research on film funding systems, market needs as well as market failures - and against the background of a design that complies with European Union law.

Such a study could provide important insights - also against the background of the change in forms of reception accelerated by the Corona crisis.

We refer to the answer to question 5.

7. What value does your party place on social, fair and sustainable working conditions as well as diversity, gender equality and inclusion in the context of current funding practices, taking intersectional issues into account?

The CDU and CSU attach great importance to social, fair and sustainable working conditions. Diversity, gender justice and the inclusion of intersectional issues must be kept in mind when implementing programs and projects, in the view of the CDU and CSU.

With the amendment to the Film Promotion Act, the German government added requirements for fair working conditions to the Film Promotion Agency's catalog of tasks in May of this year. There are also already numerous protective regulations under labor law (Working Hours Act, Protection Against Dismissal Act, collective agreements, etc.) that also apply to companies in the film industry. However, it is questionable to what extent these protective regulations are "lived" in the film industry. It will be necessary to observe the extent to which the addition to the FFA task catalog will have an effect.

A very high one! DIE LINKE wants to make culture crisis-proof and is fighting for good, living wage jobs and social security in the cultural sector. We are committed to establishing more sustainable, gender-just and crisis-proof funding systems. In order to improve the social situation of filmmakers, we want to make collective wages and social and social security standards mandatory when awarding funding. We also call for a quota system for the allocation of film funding to projects that employ women in the script, production and directing trades, as well as gender budgeting and the introduction of diversity checklists. Cinemas should show accessible film versions with subtitles and audio description on their screens on fixed days. We are convinced that gender equality and diversity have a positive effect on the quality of films, because social diversity is also reflected in diverse stories and images, so that new access to culture is opened up and visitors are attracted to it. DIE LINKE wants to realize "culture for all" and cultural participatory justice. Due to the fact that the German film funding system is (co-)financed by tax money, broadcasting fees and film levies, it must also live up to its responsibility for conditions of fair participation and representation.

We have already been able to achieve some social and societal progress for the film industry, so that the bodies of the FFA must finally have gender parity. The Film Subsidies Act should and must be urgently developed further in the next legislative period so that film subsidies are expanded to include the concerns of people with disabilities and diversity. It is important to us to overcome existing inequalities and to advocate for more participation, access and visibility in the film and media sector so that our diverse society is reflected in front of and behind the cameras. We see an urgent need for action on the gender pay gap, as well as the unequal and unfair visibility of men and women in the film industry. Although we have unfortunately not yet been able to agree on a quota with the CDU/CSU, it is clear to us in the SPD that we need a quota regulation, for example, for appointments to publicly funded bodies. In addition, the incomplete

protection of film and culture professionals must come to an end. Voluntary commitments by the film industry are not enough. We need clear conditions that industry-wide collective agreements and social standards are prerequisites for public funding. We demand reforms in the area of social security so that dependent employees are covered on equal terms and everyone has access to unemployment insurance.

For us, the aspects you have addressed are of great importance. Gender equality, diversity and sustainability should be more strongly and increasingly incorporated into structured concepts by replacing selective solutions with holistic structural and implementation concepts in the sense of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Accessibility should be understood in such a way that accessibility and participation in cultural life is lived practice, by offering accessible versions in an open format on regularly recurring weekdays in cinemas nationwide from the very first release, as well as permanently securing them through free, generally accessible, barrier-free playback systems.

In the film sector, we GRÜNE want to focus more on promoting material and scripts as well as young talent. Binding quotas should ensure that women have equal opportunities in film. Minimum social standards and fair exploitation channels improve the economic situation of filmmakers. Ecological production should be rewarded with financial incentives. In addition, we advocate for good working conditions and an inclusive and fair labor market through a wide range of measures. Examples include the minimum wage of €12 and the conversion of mini-jobs into jobs subject to social insurance contributions, from which women will benefit disproportionately. We also want to strengthen the collective bargaining system, because collective agreements are a guarantee for a fair balance of interests between employers and employees, but also within the workforce. We also want to combat pay discrimination with an Equal Pay Act, which obliges companies to be transparent and to take measures against existing pay gaps.

Social reality and socio-political controversies can and must find a place in film funding.

8. In light of current developments, what measures does your party intend to take to enable a diverse film and cinema culture in the future?

For the CDU and CSU, the film industry is a central component of the German creative economy. It is and will therefore remain an important concern for us to further develop the quality and diversity of filmmaking in Germany and Europe, as already mentioned in points 1 to 7. In this respect, we will continue to do everything in our power to make Germany one of the most attractive production locations in Europe and the world.

Cuts in the cultural sector at the municipal and state level, which are already taking place in many places, are harbingers of the distribution battles that are imminent with the changed budget situation after the Corona crisis. However, the Corona crisis also intensifies problems that already existed before the crisis, because culture is not sufficiently financed. Against this background, DIE LINKE is calling for, among other things, a wealth tax as well as a wealth levy to deal with the costs of the crisis and to finance permanent funding programs. Culture must become a joint task of the federal, state and local governments. We want to anchor culture as a joint task and a state objective in the Basic Law. The federal, state and local governments must be provided with sufficient funds to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities in the preservation and promotion of culture, to prevent tariff evasion and to ensure a wide variety of cultural offerings in the existing stock, together with the necessary investments for this. DIE LINKE therefore advocates a comprehensive tax reform. In this way, we want to provide sustainable financing for facilities and services of general interest in a comprehensive sense.

With the default fund, a means was created to preserve the film landscape even in times of economic crisis. We will draw lessons from this for the future. In the tax system, we want to maintain the framework conditions for international co-productions. We also see the broadcasters as having a duty to make their contribution to good production conditions - both financially and in terms of remuneration for filmmakers. Streaming services as well as media and film platforms/media libraries are permanently changing the production landscape. The cultural and economic area of Europe will have an increasing impact on film and film productions. In order to discuss future concepts for film funding under these conditions, we will launch a "Dialogue on the Future of German Film" with the film community.

We Freie Demokraten advocate an increase in the federal budget for national and international cultural funding. Promoting culture is not a subsidy, but an investment in the future of our country.

The Corona crisis has shown, like a contrast, the precarious conditions under which many solo self-employed people live and work, and how vulnerable the cultural scene is as a result. We GRÜNE want to improve the social security and remuneration of solo self-employed workers in the cultural and media sector. To this end, we are calling for an "existence allowance" for the period of the pandemic, minimum fees for the self-employed, easier access to the insurance systems, as well as solidarity-based citizen insurance and a guaranteed pension. The Film Subsidies Act needs to be reformed so that fundamental decisions can be made about what form subsidies should take in a changing marketing environment that is appropriate to the dual nature of film as a cultural and economic asset.

We refer to the answer to question 5.

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