Kinescope Film

What Kinescope Film does

Kinescope Film GmbH is an independent German film production company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Bremen, with additional production offices in Hamburg and Grünwald (Munich). The company produces feature films, documentary series, scripted television series, music documentaries, live concert recordings and children's films, delivering finished content for German public broadcasters (ARD/NDR, ZDF, Radio Bremen), Sky Deutschland, ARTE, German cinema chains and ARD Mediathek. It operates through five legal entities — Kinescope Film GmbH, Kinescope Factual GmbH, Kinescope Pictures GmbH, Kinescope Film Hamburg GmbH, and the legacy subsidiary TAG/TRAUM Filmproduktion GmbH (founded 1979) — and is affiliated with the pan-European SWISS STUDIOS AG group. Its portfolio spans more than 250 productions and over 100 awards and nominations, including recent titles such as the historical series Schwarzes Gold, the feature Elaha, the concert film The World of Hans Zimmer, and the Credit Suisse docuseries Game Over.

The business model is a B2B commissioned-production model. Revenue is generated through production fees and licensing paid by broadcasters and streaming platforms, supplemented by international co-production investments, regional film subsidies (e.g., nordmedia), and licensing of completed content to cinema, television and streaming distribution channels. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: the company develops slates internally and pitches directly to commissioning editors at ARD/NDR, ZDF, Sky Deutschland and ARTE, and pursues international co-productions with partners in Switzerland, the UK, US, Canada, Hungary, France and Poland. Production technology is conventional cinema-quality cinematography and post-production (4K/HD across formats); there is no proprietary technology stack or AI/ML component disclosed in the source data. The company is privately held, controlled by founder and CEO Matthias Greving, with Gerhard Schneider joining as Managing Director in September 2025 to lead commercial operations.

Name

Kinescope Film

Legal name

Kinescope Film GmbH

Website

https://kinescopefilm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kinescope Film is an independent German film production company producing feature films, documentary series, music documentaries, and children's films for ARD/NDR, ZDF, Sky Deutschland, ARTE, and German cinema audiences, operating from Bremen, Hamburg and Munich as part of SWISS STUDIOS AG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Film production services
• Documentary production
• Series production
• Music documentaries
• Co-production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Film/TV Production: Kinescope produces commissioned content for German and international broadcasters and streaming platforms, including NDR, Radio Bremen, Sky Deutschland, ZDF, ARTE, and ARD Mediathek. Revenue comes from production fees, co-production investments, and licensing deals.
2. Co-production Revenue: The company participates in international co-productions, contributing to major pan-European film projects as part of SWISS STUDIOS AG. These partnerships provide additional funding and distribution opportunities.
3. Film Licensing and Distribution: Revenue from licensing produced content to cinemas, television networks, and streaming platforms internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kinescope Film is an independent German film production company that produces feature films, documentary series, television series, music documentaries, concert recordings, and children's films for cinema, broadcast television, and streaming platforms. The company secures commissions and co-production deals with German public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, NDR, Radio Bremen) and streaming platforms (Sky Deutschland, ARTE), producing over 25 projects per year with a portfolio of more than 250 productions.

Product overview

Kinescope Film is an independent German film production company based in Bremen with offices in Hamburg and Grünwald. The company produces feature films, documentary series, television series, music documentaries, and concert recordings for cinema, TV, and streaming platforms. Their portfolio includes historical dramas (Schwarzes Gold), feature films (Elaha), children's films (Grüße vom Mars), documentary series (Die Seenotretter), music documentaries (Der Klang von Neuschwanstein, The World of Hans Zimmer), and factual productions. The company operates through subsidiaries including Kinescope Film GmbH, Kinescope Factual GmbH, Kinescope Pictures GmbH, Kinescope Film Hamburg GmbH, and TAG/TRAUM Filmproduktion GmbH. Productions are created in partnership with broadcasters such as NDR, ARD, ZDF, Sky Deutschland, Radio Bremen, and ARTE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TAG/TRAUM: Subsidiary film production company specializing in documentary and feature films, founded 1979 by Gerd Haag
• Kinescope Factual
• Kinescope Pictures

Products and services

• Schwarzes Gold (Black Gold) Six-part historical drama series commissioned by NDR for ARD Mediathek about the oil boom in Lüneburger Heide around 1900.
• Der Klang von Neuschwanstein (The Sound of Neuschwanstein) Music documentary about the music, architecture, and history of Neuschwanstein Castle, released in German theaters.
• Saving Spoonie Nature documentary about the spoonbill bird and conservation work, released in German theaters.
• Die Seenotretter - Staffel 3 (The Sea Rescuers - Season 3) Third season of the documentary series about DGzRS sea rescue workers, produced for NDR and Radio Bremen, released through ARD Mediathek.
• Grüße vom Mars (Greetings from Mars) Children's film about a boy on the autism spectrum, co-produced with Leitwolf Film.
• Game Over – The Fall of Credit Suisse Four-part documentary series about Credit Suisse's 2023 collapse, co-produced with Contrast Film for Sky Deutschland.
• Elaha Feature film premiered at Berlinale, nominated for German Film Award in 'Best Feature Film' and 'Best Female Lead', won 'Best Young Actress' at Bavarian Film Awards.
• The World of Hans Zimmer Concert recording / music show produced in collaboration with ZDF featuring Hans Zimmer's music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schwarzes Gold achieved 9 million views with 60% average view-through rate in ARD Mediathek
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

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

• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Primary co-production partner for multiple series including Schwarzes Gold (historical drama) and Die Seenotretter documentary series. NDR commissions content for ARD Mediathek and linear broadcast. Partnership involves ongoing development of new seasons and formats.
• Radio BremencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-production partner for Die Seenotretter documentary series documenting the work of DGzRS rescue crews. Radio Bremen serves as regional broadcaster with NDR for the documentary series.
• Contrast FilmmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Swiss production company co-producing Game Over - The Fall of Credit Suisse documentary series. Based in Zurich, Contrast Film specializes in high-end documentary productions.
• Swiss StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-production partner for Game Over - The Fall of Credit Suisse. Part of SWISS STUDIOS AG network enabling international documentary co-productions.
• TamediamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Swiss media group co-producing Game Over documentary series. Tamedia provides Swiss market access and local production expertise.
• Sky DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor streaming platform partner for Sky Original productions including documentaries, series, and special event programming. Ongoing relationship for premium content production.
• ZDFmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for cultural documentaries and concert recordings including The World of Hans Zimmer. ZDF distributes content through its linear channel and streaming platforms.
• ARTEmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean co-production partner for documentaries including Armeniens Nationalparks. ARTE provides international distribution across Germany and France.
• SWISS STUDIOS AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKinescope Film is part of SWISS STUDIOS AG, enabling major pan-European film projects and strengthening partnerships between German-speaking countries. This affiliation provides access to larger production budgets and international distribution networks.
• TAG/TRAUM FilmproduktioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBremen-based film production subsidiary specializing in documentary and feature films. Founded in 1979 by Gerd Haag, now led by Matthias Greving. Produces award-winning documentaries and works with European network of partners.
• Leitwolf FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for children's film Grüße vom Mars. Collaboration with independent German production company.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bavaria Film: One of Germany's largest film and TV production companies based in Grünwald, Bavaria. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in producing feature films, series, and documentaries for German broadcasters and cinema, though at significantly larger scale and with in-house studio facilities.
• Studio Hamburg: Major German film and TV production company with extensive production facilities and a long track record of producing for German public broadcasters. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film as a German production house serving ARD, ZDF, NDR, and other public broadcasters with a diversified format portfolio.
• Constantin Film: Major German film production and distribution company producing cinema features, TV series, and streaming content. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in feature film production for German audiences, broadcaster co-productions, and theatrical release.
• Studio Babelsberg: Germany's oldest large-scale film studio and production company, producing cinema features, series, and co-productions. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in feature film and series production for German and international markets, with a similar mix of heritage IP and contemporary productions.
• Beta Film: Munich-based distribution and co-production company specializing in international sales of German and European content. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in co-production financing, international content distribution, and broadcaster relationships across German-speaking Europe.
• Wüste Film: Hamburg-based independent German production company producing cinema, TV, and documentary content. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film as a northern German indie production house for broadcasters and cinema, with a similar awards profile and project-based model.
• Polyphon Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft: Hamburg-based German production company producing TV entertainment, scripted series, and factual content. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in producing content for German public broadcasters and a similarly diversified format portfolio across scripted and unscripted.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion: Berlin-based independent German production company producing feature films and documentaries. Directly comparable to Kinescope Film in indie German cinema and documentary production with a similar awards-focused positioning and broadcaster relationships.

Broad incumbents

• UFA: Germany's largest TV production group (subsidiary of Bertelsmann/RTL Group), producing scripted series, entertainment, and documentaries. A broad incumbent comparable to Kinescope Film in German content production, though with much larger scale, broader portfolio, and owned-platform relationships.
• LEONINE Studios: German media company with production, distribution, and licensing operations across film, TV, and streaming. A broad incumbent comparable to Kinescope Film in German content production and distribution, though with a much larger catalogue and owned-platform capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kinescope.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kinescopefilm
• Instagraminstagram.com/kinescope_film

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Kinescope Film