Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion

What Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion does

Leitwolf Filmproduktion GmbH, doing business as Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion, is a privately held, independent German film and television production company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Hamburg, with a secondary office in Bremen. Its core business is the development, financing, production, and co-production of feature films, TV films, mini-series, and short-form content, with an editorial focus on quality family and children's entertainment, social-issue drama, and emerging-director showcases. Notable titles include the award-winning children's film 'Grüße vom Mars', family feature 'Romy's Salon', children's film 'Mein Totemtier und ich', drama features 'Smalltown Girl' and 'Heysel 85', and the Grimme-Prize-winning mini-series 'Festmachen'.

The company operates through a project-by-project co-production model, pairing German public broadcasters (NDR, ZDF, ARD, KiKA, Arte) and international partners (Volya Films and Topkapi in the Netherlands, Menuetto and Les Films du Fleuve in Belgium, Tarantula in Luxembourg, BFilm in Czech/Slovakia) with non-dilutive financing from German regional funds (MOIN, nordmedia, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW), federal bodies (FFA, BKM, DFFF), and European programs (Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA). Distribution flows through theatrical partners (Farbfilm Verleih, Neue Visionen), free-TV slots, festival premieres, and international sales agents (Visit Films, Attraction Distribution).

Revenue mechanics rely on production fees, broadcaster license fees, theatrical distribution income, and international sales royalties; pricing is negotiated bilaterally with co-producers and not publicly disclosed. The company does not sell software, has no consumer app, runs no platform business, and does not license proprietary technology. Leadership is concentrated in two principal producers — Anette Unger (Managing Director/Producer) and Sven Rudat (Producer) — supported by a small core team of approximately 5–10 staff, including a Head of Accounting and Line Producer Assistant.

Name

Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion

Legal name

Leitwolf Filmproduktion GmbH

Website

https://leitwolf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leitwolf Filmproduktion is a Hamburg-based independent German film and television production company founded in 2016 that produces feature films, mini-series, and short-form content — primarily children's and family entertainment plus social-issue drama — through co-productions with German public broadcasters and international partners, financed largely via public film funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Film & TV Production Revenue: Revenue generated from producing films and TV series for theatrical release, public broadcasting (NDR, ZDF, ARD, KiKA), and international distribution. Income comes from production fees, licensing rights, and broadcast fees from co-production partners and distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion is an independent Hamburg-based film and television production company that develops and produces feature films and television movies for German public broadcasters and international co-production partners. Its slate is concentrated in children's and family entertainment as well as socially relevant drama, and it participates in international co-productions.

Product overview

Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion (Leitwolf Filmproduktion GmbH) is an independent German film production company founded in 2016, specializing in high-quality films and television productions. The company focuses on family entertainment, children's films, drama series, and social issue films. Their portfolio includes feature films such as 'Grüße vom Mars', 'Smalltown Girl', 'Heysel 85', 'Festmachen', 'Romy's Salon', and children's productions like 'Mein Totemtier und ich' and 'Furchtbar Göse'. The company operates from two locations in Hamburg and Bremen in Northern Germany, producing both national and international co-productions, often collaborating with broadcasters like NDR, ZDF, KiKA, and ARD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple international awards including Grimme Prize, Golden Goat, Golden Spatz
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Menuetto Film (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2025Belgian co-production partner for Heysel 85, a film about the 1985 Heysel Stadium tragedy. Menuetto leads the Belgian production.
• Les Films du Fleuve (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2025Belgian co-production partner for Heysel 85. Les Films du Fleuve is a Belgian production company.
• Topkapi Films (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2025Dutch co-production partner for Heysel 85. Topkapi Films is a Netherlands-based production company.
• Volya Films (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2022Dutch co-production partner for Mein Totemtier und ich (Totem). Volya Films is a Netherlands-based production company specializing in international co-productions.
• Tarantula (Luxembourg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2022Luxembourg-based co-production partner for Mein Totemtier und ich (Totem).
• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman public broadcaster and co-production partner for multiple productions including Festmachen, Romys Salon, Mein Totemtier und ich, Grüße vom Mars. Part of the Nordlichter talent development program.
• ZDF / ZDF Kleines FernsehspielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman public broadcaster co-production partner for Ficken für Freiheit and Sprengstoff productions.
• Farbfilm VerleihcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman theatrical distributor for Mein Totemtier und ich, Romys Salon, and Mein Vater die Wurst.
• Neue VisionencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman theatrical distributor for Ficken für Freiheit.
• BosBros (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Romys Salon.
• NL Film (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Hanneke und Fiet.
• A Private View (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian co-production partner for Mein Vater die Wurst (My Dad is a Sausage).
• The Film Kitchen (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Mein Vater die Wurst (My Dad is a Sausage).
• Umami Media (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch co-production partner for Vampir in der Schule.
• BFilm (Czech Republic/Slovakia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech/Slovak co-production partner for Martin und das Geheimnis des Waldes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Niko Film GmbH: Berlin-based independent producer specializing in festival-circuit feature films with German public broadcaster support. Comparable independent production company pursuing the same festivals and broadcaster relationships as Leitwolf.
• Boje Buck Produktion: Independent German producer of art-house and family-oriented feature films, regularly working with NDR and other ARD broadcasters. Comparable independent producer operating in the same broadcaster-co-financed feature segment.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion: German independent producer with a strong track record in family and children's film, frequently co-producing with ZDF and KiKA. Direct overlap in children's feature category and broadcaster commissioning pipeline.
• Akkurat Film GmbH: Independent Hamburg-based production company producing feature films, series, and documentaries. Similar northern German indie profile with public funding dependencies and comparable headcount.
• Heimatfilm GmbH: Independent German producer based in Cologne with international co-production experience. Operates at similar scale as Leitwolf with comparable feature film slate and broadcaster relationships.
• Lieblingsfilm GmbH: Independent German film production company of comparable scale, based in Hamburg with similar focus on family and theatrical feature films with public broadcaster co-productions. Closely comparable in size, geography (northern Germany), and co-production approach.
• Tradewind Pictures: German independent production company developing international co-productions across European markets. Closely mirrors Leitwolf's small-team, multi-territory co-production model for feature films.

Broad incumbents

• UFA GmbH: Germany's largest scripted TV and film production group, producing for all major German broadcasters. Competes for the same NDR, ZDF, and ARD commissioning slots but operates at vastly greater scale across multiple genres.
• Bavaria Film GmbH: Major German production and post-production group with deep relationships across German public broadcasters. Overlaps with Leitwolf on feature film and TV production but is broader and significantly larger.
• Studio Hamburg Produktion GmbH: Larger Hamburg-headquartered production group with broader portfolio across TV, film, and series, including public broadcaster programming. Geographic and customer overlap, but materially larger and not a niche children's-film specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Leitwolf TV- und Filmproduktion