Senator Film sets up Munich base after 17-year absence

The producer-distributor had originally been based in Munich before former CEO Hanno Huth moved the company lock, stock and barrel to Berlin in 1994.

In this latest development, the newly founded production unit Senator Film München has been set up to be managed by former Universum Film managing director Tania Reichert-Facilides as part of Senator’s plans to develop a presence in the field of films for children and young people.

Reichert-Facilides already has two projects in development in collaboration with the leading German children’s film producer WunderWerk. The projects are an animated feature adaptation of Dietrich Grönemeyer’s bestselling book Der Kleine Medicus and a feature film based on Andreas Schlüter’s popular children’s books Level 4 – Die Stadt der Kinder about the adventures of a 13-year-old computer addict.

In addition, deutschfilm, a joint venture between producer Anatol Nitschke and Senator Entertainment, will have a presence in Munich. Its first production this summer will be Was Weg Is, Is Weg, the directorial debut by actor-screenwriter Christian Lerch who came to international prominence with his 2005 comedy Grave Decisions (Was Früher Stirbt Ist Länger Tot) directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller. The acting brothers Florian and Maximilian Brückner and Jürgen Tonkel are already cast in the comedy set in Bavaria of the 1980s.

At the beginning of 2010, Senator had established a presence in North Rhine-Westphalia by opening Senator Film Köln in Cologne to become involved in international productions. This production arm’s managing director Ulf Israel already served as the German co-producer on Julie Delpy’s 2 Days In New York  and is now preparing Lasse Hallström’s The Danish Girl , starring Nicole Kidman, to shoot in Germany later this year.