Apply for the rental program award

If you are a commercial film distributor releasing artistically and culturally significant films, you can apply for the Distribution Program Award under certain conditions.

The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) awards annual distribution program prizes. The prize is awarded to film distribution companies for special achievements in the distribution of artistically outstanding films. Up to 3 prizes can be awarded per year.

The following points in particular are taken into consideration when deciding on the awarding of the prize:

• the cultural quality of your distribution work
• the proportion of German films
• the proportion of other European films
• the distribution of the films achieved through your distribution work,
• the cultivation of the repertoire

Each prize is associated with a bonus of up to EUR 75,000. You must earmark the prize money for the distribution of German and other European films of artistic merit.

Information on further funding opportunities and prizes: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) awards further prizes and grants to support the German film landscape.

• Online application
• Overview of German films released in the previous year (please use the form on the BKM website)
• Overview of other European films released in the previous year (please use the form on the BKM website)
• Overview of repertory films (without form)
• Explanation of the distribution concept with examples of innovative distribution measures (informal)
• Extract from the commercial register

The complete application can be viewed in the form preview.

Applications may be submitted by: commercial film distribution companies with

• a place of business in Germany
• Branch office in Germany, if the place of business is in the European Union, another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Switzerland

• Action before the administrative court

You must submit your application for the Lending Program Award online.

Apply for funding online:

• Go to the website of the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de and complete the application form there electronically.
• You will need an ELSTER organization certificate for the online application.
• Upload the required documents as a file (in PDF format, maximum 10 megabytes per file) and submit the application.

Further procedural steps:

• The jury for the Distribution Program Award will deliberate on the submitted applications. The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media decides on the award based on the jury's recommendation.
• The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media announces the awards at an annual awards ceremony in the fall.

If you receive an award, the German Federal Film Board (FFA) will pay out the prize.

The annual submission deadline can be found at the beginning of each year on the website of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

Free of charge

There are no indications or special features.