Constantin Film named Germany’s most successful producer and distributor of 2009

For the fifth year in a row, Constantin Film has been named by the German Federal Film Board (FFA) as the nation’s most successful producer and distributor of German films for 2009.

The FFA bestowed the title of “FFA Industry Tiger” on the Munich-based producer-distributor and allocated over € 2.8m “reference” funding for the company invest in future film projects and theatrical campaigns.

Constantin attracted € 2m in production “reference” funding from 12 films during 2009, including the family film Vickie The Viking (Wickie Und Die Starken Männer), Sönke Woertmann’s Pope Joan, and the comedy Männersache, and distribution “reference” support of € 854,000  based on the performance of 16 releases.

2009’s number one film Vickie The Viking was followed by Stephen Daldry’s The Reader, which was co-produced by one of Studio Babelsberg’s production arms and generated € 689,000 “reference” funding, while The Lives Of Others producers Wiedemann & Berg Film picked up € 599,000 for the success of Simon Verhoeven’s romantic comedy Men In The City (Männerherzen).

The automatic “reference” funding is paid out to a producer if their German film (or a German co-production with another country) has reached at least 150,000 “reference points” in Germany within one year of theatrical release.

The “reference points” are calculated both according to commercial success (with a lower threshold of 50,000 admissions) and success at leading international festivals and awards.

Thus, for example, 50,000 points are awarded for an invitation to screen in competition in Locarno, Rotterdam or San Sebastian, but 150,000 points can be earned if the film subsequently wins the Golden Leopard, Tiger Award or Golden Shell.

Similarly, 150,000 points are allocated for a nomination to the Golden Globes or Oscars, and winning one of these trophies – or a Golden Palm, Golden Bear or Golden Lion – would generate 300,000 points for a film’s “reference” funding account.