German Film and Television Academy Berlin

What German Film and Television Academy Berlin does

The German Film and Television Academy Berlin (Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin, DFFB) is a film school founded in 1966 and registered as a GmbH fully owned by the State of Berlin, with primary funding channeled through the Senatskanzlei Berlin. It operates from newly relocated premises at Am Studio 16, 12489 Berlin-Adlershof, offering a structured two-phase curriculum (Grundstudium semesters 1-5; Hauptstudium semesters 6-12, or 7 semesters total for the screenwriting track) across five disciplines: Directing (Regie), Screenwriting (Drehbuch), Cinematography (Bildgestaltung/Kamera), Producing (Produktion), and Editing & Sound (Montage Bild & Ton). The academy also runs postgraduate programs including Serial Eyes for television series development and VGF International Producers Programme for international producers. Its core technology consists of on-site film production and postproduction facilities: camera equipment, editing suites, sound-mixing studios, and a cinema screening room, supplemented by an open studio structure where students progressively assume responsibility for graduation work, documentaries, TV series pilots, shorts, and features.

DFFB serves emerging filmmakers from around the world, recruiting via an application-based admissions process that requires prior academic or professional experience. Pedagogy is delivered by working professionals rather than permanent faculty and is deliberately non-specialist, emphasizing collaborative cross-craft learning. The academy's go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: DFFB connect events pitch student projects to industry representatives, alumni success at festivals (Berlinale, Cannes, Locarno, David di Donatello) drives reputation, and partnerships with Arsenal Filminstitut and Deutsche Kinemathek — formalized through an April 2026 cooperation agreement — embed the school within Berlin's institutional film-culture cluster.

The business model is government grant-funded rather than commercial. There are no tuition fees (tuition is not publicly disclosed, consistent with a publicly funded institution), and the only disclosed commercial activity is the FILMSPARKS commemorative book sold at 17.95 EUR. Distribution of student work occurs through international film festivals, nationwide cinema releases, and a TV broadcast partnership with ARTE. Leadership transitioned in July 2025 with the appointment of Angelika Levi as Artistic Director, and Wolf Plesmann serves as Managing Director.

Name

German Film and Television Academy Berlin

Legal name

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin GmbH

Website

https://dffb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) is a state-owned film school founded in 1966, offering degree and postgraduate programs in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, producing, and editing to emerging international filmmakers, funded by the State of Berlin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film School Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools) (MPADAKAI), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Film school education
• Filmmaking training programs
• Screenwriting instruction
• Cinematography degree programs
• Film production courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State of Berlin Funding: DFFB is fully owned by the State of Berlin. Primary funding comes from government support as a state-funded film school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DFFB is a state-funded film academy in Berlin that trains emerging filmmakers through structured degree programs in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, production, and editing & sound. The academy operates a two-phase curriculum (Grundstudium and Hauptstudium) totaling up to 12 semesters, supplemented by postgraduate programs such as Serial Eyes for television series development and the VGF International Producers Programme. Student work is produced on on-site film production and postproduction facilities and reaches audiences through festivals, cinema releases, and TV broadcast partnerships.

Product overview

DFFB (Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin) is a film school offering a structured program in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, producing, and editing & sound. The academy operates a two-phase curriculum: Grundstudium (basic studies, semesters 1-5) and Hauptstudium (advanced studies, semesters 6-12+). In addition to its core educational programs, DFFB runs specialized postgraduate programs including Serial Eyes for television series development and VGF for international producing. The academy's offerings extend to student film productions, the FILMSPARKS publication documenting its history, and the Film Club 35K student initiative for regular public screenings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Serial Eyes: A postgraduate programme focused on television series development, run in conjunction with other partners.
• VGF – International Producers Programme

Products and services

• Regie (Directing)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Arsenal Filminstitut e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Arsenal Filminstitut, Deutsche Kinemathek, and DFFB renewed their cooperation for a strong future of film culture. The leadership of all three institutions signed an agreement building on their successful cooperation at the former Filmhaus at Potsdamer Platz.
• Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum für Film und FernsehencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026The three Berlin film institutions (Arsenal, Deutsche Kinemathek, and DFFB) signed a cooperation agreement in 2026 to expand collaboration at the new DFFB premises.
• Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie BerlinmajorOthersProvided financial support for the FILMSPARKS book publication and 50th anniversary celebrations of the DFFB.
• Filmnetzwerk BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Filmnetzwerk Berlin for the Serial Germany event series exploring German serial television production.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Deutsche Kinemathek: Berlin's museum of film and television and a strategic cooperation partner with DFFB. Collaborates on cultural programming at the new DFFB premises; adjacent institution rather than competitor.
• ARTE (European culture TV channel): French-German public cultural TV channel that has a TV broadcast partnership with DFFB for student productions. They are a distribution partner and employer of DFFB graduates rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF: State-funded film university in Potsdam-Babelsberg, near Berlin, offering programs in directing, screenwriting, production, and animation. Strong public-sector peer with similar mission and structure to DFFB.
• CalArts (California Institute of the Arts): US fine arts school with a renowned School of Film/Video offering BFA and MFA programs in character animation, film directing, and film production. Strong peer in fine arts film education with comparable international reach.
• Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg: Major German film school in Ludwigsburg offering comparable programs in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and production. Consistently produces award-winning alumni and competes directly with DFFB for top-tier applicants.
• AFI Conservatory (American Film Institute): Top-tier US film conservatory offering MFA programs in cinematography, directing, editing, producing, and screenwriting. Comparable to DFFB in selectivity, alumni impact, and craft-focused curriculum.
• La Fémis (École nationale supérieure des métiers de l'image et du son): France's premier state-funded film school in Paris, offering direct equivalents to DFFB's programs. Comparable size, public funding model, and rigorous admission process producing internationally recognized filmmakers.
• National Film and Television School (UK): UK's national film school offering postgraduate programs in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and producing. Closest international analog to DFFB in terms of public mission, program structure, and alumni reputation.
• London Film School: International film school in London offering MA programs in filmmaking, screenwriting, and producing. Comparable to DFFB in international student composition and postgraduate focus.
• HFF München (University of Television and Film Munich): One of Germany's premier publicly funded film schools, offering degree programs in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, producing, and editing. Direct competitor to DFFB for German film students, faculty, and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/dffb
• Facebookfacebook.com/deutschefilmundfernsehakademieberlin
• Instagraminstagram.com/dffb_berlin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 German Film and Television Academy Berlin