Rental program award; application

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

Online für den Verleihprogrammpreis bewerben
The federal portal provides information on administrative services at federal, state and local level. You can use it to deal with the authorities directly online.

Übersicht Deutsche Filme

This form can be submitted electronically without signature (e.g. via a secure contact form or by e-mail) or in paper form to the responsible authority.
Übersicht Europäische Filme
Auflistung der im Vorjahr verliehenen nicht nationalen europäischen Filme

This form can be submitted electronically without signature (e.g. via a secure contact form or by e-mail) or in paper form to the responsible authority.

Street address

Potsdamer Platz 1
10785 Berlin

Postal address

Potsdamer Platz 1

10785 Berlin

Mehr zur Behörde

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 account 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 other 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.

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

Required Documents
- Online-Antrag
- Übersicht über im Vorjahr gestartete deutsche Filme (nutzen Sie bitte den Vordruck auf der Internetseite der BKM)
- Übersicht über im Vorjahr gestartete weitere europäische Filme (nutzen Sie bitte den Vordruck auf der Internetseite der BKM)
- Übersicht Repertoirefilme (ohne Vordruck)
- Erläuterungen zum Verleihkonzept mit beispielhaften innovativen Verleihmaßnahmen (formlos)
- Handelsregisterauszug
Der komplette Antrag kann in der Formular-Vorschau betrachtet werden.

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 fill out the application form 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.

Free of charge

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).