Film Tank

What Film Tank does

Filmtank (filmtank GmbH) is a Berlin-based independent documentary and crossmedia production company headquartered at Reichenberger Str. 88, D-10999 Berlin. The company produces non-fiction content across multiple formats: theatrical documentary films for cinema release, TV documentaries broadcast on European public networks, immersive VR installations for museums and cultural institutions, and crossmedia projects combining interactive web documentaries, graphic novel apps, games, and audio formats. Core products include documentary titles such as Total Trust, Das geheime Wissen der Tiere, Der geraubte Wald, and Das Venedig Prinzip; VR experiences such as Inside Tumucumaque and Das Totale Tanz Theater; and crossmedia projects such as netwars/out of CTRL and MYRIAD. Where we connect. The company is managed by Thomas Tielsch and Saskia Kress (Geschäftsführer) and is registered at Amtsgericht Berlin under HRB 226575 B.

Filmtank's production model relies on co-productions and project financing rather than proprietary technology. The company collaborates with strategic partners including Interactive Media Foundation and Artificial Rome for VR and crossmedia development, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin for scientific VR projects, and Frogs & Friends e.V. for conservation-themed work. Major TV documentaries are co-produced with public broadcasters including ZDF, Arte, 3sat, and SWR. Production financing draws on German regional film funds (medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg, nordmedia, Kulturstiftung des Bundes), broadcaster commissions, and international co-production partners (WILDart Austria, 4Proof Film Romania).

Revenue is generated through a multi-channel distribution stack: theatrical distribution via Filmtank Audience and partners (Mindjazz Pictures, Magnetfilm, Realfictionfilme, Autentic Distribution), TV licensing to broadcasters, museum/institutional licensing for VR installations, and direct-to-consumer VOD/DVD sales through the Filmtank Shop. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or acquisitions, and has accumulated over 50 international awards including Grimme-Preis, Deutscher Dokumentarfilmpreis, DOC NYC International Competition, Prix Italia, and European Design Awards.

Name

Film Tank

Legal name

filmtank GmbH

Website

https://filmtank.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Filmtank is a Berlin-based independent production company creating documentary films, TV documentaries, VR installations, and crossmedia projects for European broadcasters, museums, cultural institutions, and consumer audiences. Managed by Thomas Tielsch and Saskia Kress.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI), Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Crossmedia storytelling
• VR installations
• Creative documentaries
• Immersive experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Film Tank (filmtank GmbH) is a Berlin-based documentary and crossmedia production company that produces creative documentaries for theatrical cinema release and television broadcast (ZDF, Arte, 3sat, SWR), immersive VR installations for museums and cultural institutions, and crossmedia projects combining documentary with interactive web documentaries, mobile apps, and games. The company delivers its content through direct-to-consumer VOD/DVD sales (shop.filmtank.de), theatrical distribution (Film Tank Audience), broadcast licensing, and museum exhibitions worldwide.

Product overview

Film Tank is a Berlin-based documentary film production company (filmtank GmbH) producing content across multiple formats. The portfolio includes: theatrical documentary films (Kino) for cinema release, TV documentaries broadcast on channels like ZDF/ARTE/SWR, Virtual Reality (VR) installations and immersive experiences, crossmedia projects combining documentary with interactive digital formats (web documentaries, graphic novel apps, games), and web/mobile interactive experiences. Films are distributed through the Filmtank Shop (video on demand/DVD sales) and Filmtank Audience (theatrical distribution). The company operates as a multi-format production house rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Filmtank Audience: A distribution/Verleih brand operated by Filmtank for distributing productions to audiences, referenced as filmtankaudience.de.
• Filmtank Shop

Products and services

• Theatrical Documentary Films (Kino) Theatrical documentary films produced for cinema release, covering environmental issues, social themes, and cultural subjects, intended for broadcasters, theatrical distributors, festivals, and consumer audiences.
• TV Documentaries Documentary productions produced for television broadcast, often in collaboration with broadcasters such as ZDF, ARTE, 3sat, and SWR, distributed to broadcast partners and audiences.
• Inside Tumucumaque (VR Installation) VR installation allowing visitors to experience animal perception in the Brazilian rainforest, developed with Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and Artificial Rome, intended for museums, cultural institutions, and exhibition venues.
• Das Totale Tanz Theater (VR Installation) Immersive VR experience exploring human-machine interaction inspired by Bauhaus stage experiments, examining artificial intelligence through interactive dance, developed with Interactive Media Foundation and Artificial Rome for cultural institutions and exhibitions.
• netwars / out of CTRL (Crossmedia Project) Multi-format crossmedia project on cyber warfare comprising TV documentary, interactive web documentary, graphic novel app, e-book, and audiobook, intended for broadcasters, online audiences, and educational use.
• MYRIAD. Where we connect. (Crossmedia Project) Crossmedia project exploring human connection and interconnection, distributed across multiple platforms for online audiences and broadcasters.
• Filmtank Shop (VOD/DVD Sales Platform) E-commerce platform for renting or purchasing Filmtank documentary films as video on demand (VOD) or DVD, serving direct consumer audiences worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50+ international awards across various productions including Grimme-Preis, DOC NYC, and multiple festival prizes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interactive Media FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for major crossmedia and VR projects including Inside Tumucumaque, Das Totale Tanz Theater, and BAUKRAFT. Joint development of immersive VR experiences and educational content.
• ZDF / ArtecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for numerous TV documentary productions. Major co-production relationships for documentary films and TV content.
• Museum für Naturkunde BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific collaboration partner for Inside Tumucumaque VR project. Development of scientifically accurate animal and environment models for immersive experiences.
• Artificial RomecoreTechnology or IntegrationDesign and development partner for VR projects including Inside Tumucumaque and Das Totale Tanz Theater.
• Mindjazz PicturesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for theatrical releases including An den Rändern der Welt DVD sales.
• MagnetfilmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld distributor for Der geraubte Wald (Wood).
• RealfictionfilmeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTheatrical distribution partner for films including Das Venedig Prinzip and Die singende Stadt.
• Frogs & Friends e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for amphibian conservation crossmedia projects. Originally initiated as a crossmedia project, now established as an international amphibian protection organization.
• WILDart (Austria)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-production partner for Der geraubte Wald (Wood) documentary.
• 4Proof Film (Romania)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-production partner for Der geraubte Wald (Wood) documentary.
• Apollo FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for crossmedia projects including Conquest of the Seven Seas and Deltas der Welt.
• Autentic DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Deltas der Welt documentary series.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• REALFICTIONFILME: Cologne-based documentary theatrical distributor. Direct peer partnering with Film Tank on Das Venedig Prinzip and Die singende Stadt theatrical releases.
• Mindjazz Pictures: German independent distributor specializing in arthouse and documentary theatrical releases. Direct peer already partnered with Film Tank on An den Rändern der Welt DVD distribution.
• Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion: Berlin- and Hamburg-based independent documentary and factual production house. Direct peer producing award-winning feature documentaries and series for German broadcasters and international streamers, with overlapping ZDF/Arte commission relationships.
• Final Cut for Real: Copenhagen-based independent documentary production house producing festival-grade feature docs. Direct peer in the Nordic/European documentary production ecosystem with comparable ZDF/Arte commissioning relationships.
• Autentic Distribution: German factual documentary production and distribution company with global sales reach. Direct peer partnering with Film Tank on Deltas der Welt distribution and operating in the same broadcaster-funded documentary ecosystem.
• Submarine: Amsterdam-based documentary and crossmedia production studio producing films, interactive, and transmedia projects. Direct peer in the European crossmedia documentary space, particularly in interactive web docs and transmedia storytelling.
• Magnetfilm: Berlin-based documentary distribution and production company. Direct peer handling world sales of German documentaries; already works with Film Tank as distribution partner on Der geraubte Wald (WOOD).

Broad incumbents

• ZDF / Arte: Major German public broadcaster and Franco-German cultural channel. Broad incumbent — operates as both commissioner/funder for Film Tank's documentary slate and as a much larger broadcaster producing and acquiring documentaries directly.
• Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb): Berlin/Brandenburg regional public broadcaster and a frequent commissioner/co-producer of regional documentaries. Broad incumbent operating in the same Berlin documentary ecosystem and partnering with local indies including Film Tank.

Others

• Interactive Media Foundation: Berlin non-profit developing interactive and crossmedia projects. Adjacent ecosystem partner co-developing Inside Tumucumaque and Das Totale Tanz Theater with Film Tank; comparable in VR/crossmedia delivery capability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/filmtank_gmbh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FilmtankGmbH
• Facebookfacebook.com/filmtankgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/filmtank
• Instagraminstagram.com/filmtankproductions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Film Tank