Augenschein Filmproduktion

What Augenschein Filmproduktion does

Augenschein Filmproduktion GmbH is a privately held German independent film production company founded in 2008/2009 and headquartered in Cologne, with a second office in Hamburg. The company produces feature films and documentaries, operating primarily through an international co-production model that pairs German public and private film funding with foreign partners across Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America. Since inception it has produced more than 100 films spanning genres including thriller (STOWAWAY, 7500), drama (MY HAPPY FAMILY, ANA, MON AMOUR), and sci-fi (THE ASSESSMENT), with talent attachments including Anne Hathaway, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Olsen, Emma Thompson, Anna Kendrick, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: one-time production licensing fees from feature film co-productions and fully-owned productions, transaction-based international distribution rights sales to streaming platforms (Amazon Prime Video, Netflix) and theatrical distributors, and licensing/grant income from German and European film funds including Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, FFF Bavaria, DFFF, EURIMAGES, and Creative Europe MEDIA. Films are typically launched via premieres at Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Cannes, and other A-list festivals, which drive pre-sales, distribution deals, and award recognition (Silver Bear 2017, BIFA 2024, multiple Grimme Award nominations).

The business model is project-based and B2B: Augenschein does not sell directly to consumers but monetizes through distribution partners (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, A24, Protagonist Pictures, Camino Filmverleih, Capelight Pictures, Realfiction Filmverleih) and public broadcasters (WDR, ZDF/ARTE). The company is in active operating status with a current slate including ISLANDS (Berlinale 2025), MOTHER MARY (with A24), THE FISHERWOMAN (Emma Thompson), and BERLIN NOBODY (Eric Bana, Sadie Sink). In March 2024, Erfttal Film & Television Production became a minority shareholder, representing the company's first confirmed external equity investor.

Name

Augenschein Filmproduktion

Legal name

augenschein Filmproduktion GmbH

Website

https://augenschein-filmproduktion.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Augenschein Filmproduktion is a privately held German independent film production company producing feature films and documentaries as international co-productions, monetizing through distribution deals with platforms such as Amazon, Netflix, and A24, and through German/European public film funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sales Agency Representation & Deal Structuring (MPADAAAK), Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)

Keywords

• Feature film production
• International co-productions
• Documentary production
• Independent film production
• Festival circuit films

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production Revenue: Revenue generated through producing feature films as co-productions or fully-owned productions, typically with German and international partners. Films are sold to distributors, streaming platforms, and broadcast networks.
2. International Distribution Rights Sales: Selling world rights, regional rights, and free TV rights to major platforms like Amazon and Netflix for international distribution.
3. Government Film Funding: Receiving production subsidies and script development grants from German and European film funds including Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, FFA, DFFF, EURIMAGES, Creative Europe MEDIA, and regional film foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Augenschein Filmproduktion is an independent German film production company that develops, finances, and produces feature films and documentaries as co-productions with international partners. The company packages films with high-profile acting talent, secures financing from public film funds and private partners, and licenses finished films to global streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video), theatrical distributors, and public broadcasters for theatrical, streaming, and broadcast release.

Product overview

Augenschein Filmproduktion GmbH is a German independent film production company producing documentaries and feature films as co-productions with international partners. The company operates from offices in Cologne and Hamburg, producing a diverse slate of films for theatrical release, streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, MUBI), and festival circuits worldwide. The portfolio includes award-winning features such as THE ASSESSMENT (Amazon Prime acquisition), MOTHER MARY (A24 production), STOWAWAY (Netflix global deal), and THE DIVE (RLJE Films US rights), alongside acclaimed international co-productions like MY HAPPY FAMILY, ANA MON AMOUR, and LOS PERROS. The company also produces documentary features including TOUR DU FASO, WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER?, and MONEY.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISLANDS English-language feature film directed by Jan-Ole Gerster; world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival 2025.
• MOTHER MARY Pop music epic feature film directed by David Lowery, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel; produced in collaboration with A24 and Sailor Bear.
• THE ASSESSMENT Sci-fi drama feature film set in a futuristic world where couples undergo evaluation before being allowed to have children. Directed by Fleur Fortuné; stars Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Olsen, and Himesh Patel. Acquired by Amazon Prime Video.
• STOWAWAY Science fiction thriller feature film directed by Joe Penna, starring Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, and Shamier Anderson. Netflix secured global rights.
• 7500 Hijacking thriller feature film directed by Patrick Vollrath, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Amazon acquired world rights and released on Amazon Prime Video.
• HOME Feature film directorial debut of Franka Potente, starring Kathy Bates, Jake McLaughlin, and Lil Rel Howery. Premiered at Rome Film Fest and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
• THE DIVE English-language deep sea survival thriller feature film directed by Maximilian Erlenwein. Louise Krause and Sophie Lowe star as two sisters. RLJE Films acquired US rights.
• THE FISHERWOMAN Survival thriller feature film starring two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson, directed by Brian Kirk. Principal photography wrapped in Cologne.
• BERLIN NOBODY Thriller feature film directed by Jordan Scott, starring Eric Bana and Sadie Sink. Distribution deals secured through Protagonist Pictures partnership.
• MY HAPPY FAMILY German-Georgian-French co-production feature film directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross. Released on Netflix; won multiple international awards.
• ANA, MON AMOUR Romanian-German-French co-production feature film directed by Calin Peter Netzer. Won Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at Berlin Film Festival.
• SAMUI SONG Thai-German co-production feature film directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. Drama with satirical film-noir style; premiered at Venice Days Competition.
• LOS PERROS Chilean co-production feature film directed by Marcela Said. Won Horizontes Award at San Sebastián Film Festival; nominated for GOYA.
• APPRENTICE Singaporean-German-French co-production feature film directed by Boo Junfeng. World premiere in Official Selection at Cannes (Un Certain Regard).
• CLOUD WHISPERS Family road movie feature film directed by Kerstin Polte, starring Corinna Harfouch, Meret Becker, and Sabine Timoteo. Won Bavarian Film Prize for Best Newcomer Director.
• BOX Romanian-German-French co-production feature film directed by Florin Serban. Won FIPRESCI Award at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
• KID Belgian co-production feature film directed by Fien Troch. Premiered at International Rome Film Festival and Rotterdam.
• THE INNOCENT Feature film directed by Simon Jaquemet. Premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (Platform competition).
• THE WOUNDED ANGEL Kazakh-French-German co-production feature film directed by Emir Baigazin. Second part of trilogy dealing with teenage issues; premiered at Berlinale Panorama.
• DER RUSSE IST EINER, DER BIRKEN LIEBT Feature film nominated for the prestigious Grimme Award in the Fiction category in 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Films premiered at major international festivals including Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Cannes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Number 9 FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Co-producer of THE ASSESSMENT with Number 9 Films; also collaborated on other projects like THE ASSESSMENT and other co-productions
• ShivHans PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Co-production partner for THE ASSESSMENT film
• Project InfinitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Co-production partner for THE ASSESSMENT
• Tiki TaaneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Co-production partner for THE ASSESSMENT
• A24flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2023Major production and distribution partner for MOTHER MARY; A24 handling worldwide distribution of David Lowery's pop music epic starring Anne Hathaway
• Sailor BearcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2023U.S.-based production company co-producing MOTHER MARY with augenschein and A24
• Homebird ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2023Co-production partner for MOTHER MARY
• ZDF / Das Kleines Fernsehspiel / ARTEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman public broadcasters co-producing documentaries including MONEY with augenschein
• WDRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman public broadcaster co-producing documentaries and feature films including THE COALMAN, WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER?
• RISE PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for STOWAWAY sci-fi thriller with Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette
• XYZ FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for STOWAWAY; involved in international sales and financing for the project
• Protagonist PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent partnered with augenschein Sales for global sales partnership representing selected English-language slate films
• La HuitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench co-producer for TOUR DU FASO documentary feature
• Prime TimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company, delegate producer for KID feature film
• Camino FilmverleihcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman theatrical distributor for WHO IS THOMAS MÜLLER?
• Capelight PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman distributor for THE ASSESSMENT sci-fi drama
• Agat Films Et CieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench partner for development of crime series 34 with augenschein and Unité de Production
• Realfiction FilmverleihcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman distributor for ANA, MON AMOUR

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• A24: A24 is a US-based film and production company that handles worldwide distribution of MOTHER MARY for Augenschein. While much larger, A24 is the closest partner/incumbent comparable as a vertically integrated indie producer-distributor combining premium talent, festival strategy, and streaming/digital releases — the same playbook Augenschein operates in.
• Studio Babelsberg: Germany's largest and most established film studio and production services company, based near Berlin. Comparable as a German-headquartered film production entity operating internationally; serves as the broader incumbent against which Augenschein positions itself as a more boutique, festival-driven alternative.

Direct peers

• Number 9 Films: UK-based boutique film production company and core co-production partner on THE ASSESSMENT. Number 9 Films produces English-language prestige features with international talent — operationally and strategically the most direct peer in terms of slate composition and co-production model.
• Sailor Bear: US-based production company and co-producer on MOTHER MARY alongside Augenschein and A24. Comparable as a small, talent-driven indie producer structuring premium English-language features with festival ambitions.
• XYZ Films: XYZ Films is a US/international sales-and-production company that co-produced STOWAWAY with Augenschein. Comparable as a mid-sized indie specializing in international genre and thriller titles, festival-friendly packaging, and global licensing — directly overlapping on production financing and sales approach.
• RISE Pictures: RISE Pictures is a UK/international production company co-producing STOWAWAY with Augenschein. Comparable as a boutique producer of English-language genre thrillers working with US/international talent across multiple European jurisdictions.
• Protagonist Pictures: UK-based international sales agent handling global sales for selected Augenschein titles (e.g., BERLIN NOBODY, English-language slate). Comparable as a closely linked commercial intermediary representing independent films to streaming platforms and theatrical distributors — adjacent services in the same indie value chain.
• Pandora Film: German independent film production company with a similar profile of producing festival-oriented German and international co-productions. Comparable in size, arthouse programming, and reliance on federal/regional film funds plus international co-production partners.
• Tamtam Film: German boutique independent film producer based in Cologne producing festival-titled documentaries and features. Comparable given similar scale, German public broadcaster relationships, and focus on awards-circuit titles.
• Heimatfilm (now GmbH): German-Cologne-based independent production company producing German and international arthouse feature films. Closely comparable on geography (Cologne), operational scale (boutique), and focus on festival-premiered co-productions with public funding access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/augenscheinfilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Augenschein Filmproduktion