Summer House Film Production

What Summer House Film Production does

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH is an independent German film and television production company founded in 2015 by producers Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach, both formerly of UFA Fiction/teamWorx. The company produces feature films for theatrical release, serialized television for streaming and broadcast, standalone TV films, and innovative social-media formats such as the Instagram series @ichbinsophiescholl. Its core products span historical drama (When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Berlin Alexanderplatz), arthouse features (In den Gängen, Stations of the Cross), and globally distributed Netflix series (The Empress, Holiday Secrets), supported by a 17-person team across offices in Berlin, Ludwigsburg, and Munich/Oberhaching and a dedicated series-production subsidiary, Sommerhaus Serien GmbH.

The company's business model is project-based B2B content production: revenue is generated through production fees and licensing income from commissioning broadcasters and streaming platforms, supplemented by international sales and theatrical distribution through partners such as Beta Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures Germany. Go-to-market combines a sales-led commissioning approach with public-broadcast co-productions (ARD Degeto, ZDF, SWR, ARTE, MDR, hr), a strategic Netflix partnership, and festival-driven positioning (Berlinale) to secure downstream global distribution. The customer base is concentrated among a handful of major German public broadcasters and Netflix, with co-production partnerships extending the production network into Switzerland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Sommerhaus's commercial position rests on a high-density award portfolio, including the 2023 International Emmy for Best Drama Series (The Empress), German Film Awards, Berlinale competition entries, and a 2025 Grimme-Preis Fiktion, paired with multi-season commissioning signals from Netflix. The company is privately held by its two founders with no disclosed external institutional investors, and operates as an independent production house without a parent company, public listing, or identified M&A activity.

Name

Summer House Film Production

Legal name

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH

Website

https://sommerhaus-film.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion is an independent German film and series production company founded in 2015, producing theatrical features, Netflix and broadcaster series, and social-media formats for international streaming platforms, German public broadcasters, and global co-production partners across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)

Keywords

• Feature film production
• Television series production
• International co-production
• Streaming content production
• Theatrical film distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. TV Series Production: Commissioned and co-produced TV series for ARD Degeto, Netflix, and German broadcasters. Revenue from production fees, licensing, and international distribution rights.
2. Feature Film Production: Cinematic releases through theatrical distribution partners (Beta Cinema, Warner Bros.), with revenue from theatrical distribution, home entertainment, and international sales.
3. Digital/Social Media Content: Social media series format producing Instagram-based storytelling content with branded entertainment partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion is an independent German film and television production company that produces feature films for theatrical release, television series for streaming platforms and broadcasters, TV films, and innovative social media/Instagram series. The company commissions and co-produces content with broadcasters such as ARD Degeto, ZDF, ARTE, and SWR, and distributes internationally through Netflix, Beta Cinema, and Warner Bros. Pictures Germany.

Product overview

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH is an independent German film production company founded in 2015 by Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach, with offices in Berlin, Ludwigsburg, and Munich. The company operates a diversified portfolio of film and television products across multiple formats: feature films (Kinofilme) for theatrical release, television series (Serien) for streaming platforms and broadcast networks, TV films (TV-Filme), Instagram/social media series, and ongoing film franchises. The portfolio includes award-winning productions such as 'In den Gängen' (Berlinale competition), 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' (Berlinale competition), 'Die Kaiserin/The Empress' (International Emmy winner, Netflix global success), and '@ichbinsophiescholl' (Germany's most successful fictional social media series). The subsidiary 'Sommerhaus Serien GmbH' handles series production specifically.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sommerhaus Serien: Series production entity focused on serialized television content including The Empress and Der Barcelona-Krimi

Products and services

• Feature Films (Kinofilme) Full-length theatrical films produced for cinema release, including award-winning works such as 'In den Gängen' (2018), 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' (2020), 'Die stillen Trabanten' (2022), and 'Kein Tier. So Wild.' (2025). Films are distributed internationally through Beta Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures Germany.
• Television Series (Serien) Serialized television productions for streaming platforms and broadcast networks, including Netflix series 'Die Kaiserin/The Empress' (since 2022, International Emmy 2023 winner), Netflix series 'Zeit der Geheimnisse/Holiday Secrets' (2019), and ARD Degeto series 'Der Barcelona-Krimi' (since 2020). Produced by subsidiary Sommerhaus Serien GmbH.
• TV Films (TV-Filme) Television film productions for German broadcaster slots, including 'Der rote Schatten' (2017 Tatort episode) and 'Exit' (2020), a science fiction thriller about digital eternal life.
• Instagram Series (Instagram Serie) Social media narrative series format, most notably '@ichbinsophiescholl' (2021), a 10-month Instagram narrative project about Sophie Scholl that reached nearly one million followers within one month and established a new social media storytelling format.
• Film Series (Filmreihen) Ongoing film franchises including 'Tatort Frankfurt' (with SWR) and 'Der Barcelona-Krimi' (with ARD Degeto), with multiple installments produced annually as recurring series commissions.
• Das Netz - Multi-part International Series Multi-part international series format 'Das Netz – Spiel am Abgrund' that links national productions through shared characters and storylines into a global series event, co-produced with ARD Degeto, Das Netz GmbH, and SRF.

Quantifiable outcome

• Netflix global ranking #1 for non-English-language series
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Netflix is the primary international streaming partner for Sommerhaus series productions. 'The Empress' premiered globally on Netflix in September 2022 and was awarded the International Emmy 2023 for Best Drama Series. Currently producing third season. Also produced 'Holiday Secrets' for Netflix.
• Das Netz GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-production partner for the international multi-part series 'Das Netz – Spiel am Abgrund' (The Net – Promised Land), connecting national productions into a global series event.
• ARD DegetocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Sommerhaus Serien GmbH produces 'Das Netz – Spiel am Abgrund' in co-production with ARD Degeto, Das Netz GmbH, and SRF (Swiss broadcaster).
• ARD DegetocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ARD Degeto commissions and co-produces the 'Der Barcelona-Krimi' crime series (Thursday crime series since 2020) for Das Erste broadcast channel. Multiple films in the series produced annually.
• SWRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Südwestrundfunk (SWR) is a key broadcast partner commissioning TV films and series including Tatort episodes and the Instagram series 'Ich bin Sophie Scholl' produced on behalf of SWR and BR.
• Warner Bros. Pictures GermanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Warner Bros. Pictures Germany handles theatrical distribution for Sommerhaus feature films including 'Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl' (When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit) and 'Hello Again – Ein Tag für immer'.
• Beta CinemacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Beta Cinema serves as international sales agent and distributor for Sommerhaus theatrical feature films. Distributed 'In den Gängen', 'Was uns nicht umbringt', 'Die stillen Trabanten', and 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' internationally.
• ZDFmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ZDF is a co-production partner for feature films and series including 'Berlin Alexanderplatz'. Second German public broadcaster partner for quality drama productions.
• ARTEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ARTE, the Franco-German cultural channel, co-produces European drama series and feature films with Sommerhaus including international co-productions.
• MDRminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) is a regional co-production partner, particularly for 'Die stillen Trabanten' and other central German productions.
• hr (Hessischer Rundfunk)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Hessischer Rundfunk co-produces TV productions including 'In den Gängen' as part of the ARD broadcasting group.
• hugofilm features GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Swiss co-production partner (hugofilm features GmbH) for international series productions including 'Das Netz' and 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Studio Babelsberg: Germany's largest film studio and independent production group; produces feature films, series, and theatrical releases, including Netflix originals and German broadcaster commissions — directly comparable in format mix and premium positioning.
• Studio Hamburg: German production group producing feature films, TV series, and Tatort episodes for public broadcasters; directly competes for ARD/NDR commissions and German theatrical releases.
• Constantin Film: Leading German production-distribution company producing feature films, series, and theatrical releases; competes with Sommerhaus for German theatrical slots, broadcaster commissions, and international streaming deals.
• UFA Fiction: Major German production company and former employer of Sommerhaus founders; produces premium TV series and films for German broadcasters and international streamers, overlapping directly in crime series, period drama, and Netflix co-productions.
• Bavaria Film: Long-established German production company with deep relationships to public broadcasters and streaming platforms; produces feature films, series, and TV movies across similar genres to Sommerhaus.

Direct peers

• Wiedemann & Berg Film: Independent German production company producing premium theatrical films and series (e.g., 'Dark'); comparable scale, talent-driven model, and German broadcaster/streaming relationships.
• X Filme Creative Pool: Berlin-based independent production company producing auteur-driven theatrical films and international co-productions; comparable festival pedigree, Berlinale presence, and premium positioning.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion: Berlin-based independent production company producing theatrical films and television; comparable scale, festival pedigree, and German broadcaster co-productions.
• Beta Film: German production and international distribution company producing and globally selling premium series (e.g., 'Dark', 'Babylon Berlin'); closely comparable international distribution reach and broadcaster relationships.

Emerging players

• Amusement Park Film: Independent German production company with Netflix originals and German broadcaster commissions; emerging peer in the same premium non-English series category as Sommerhaus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sommerhausfilmproduktion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sommerhaus-filmproduktion-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Summer House Film Production