Wood Water Films

What Wood Water Films does

Wood Water Films GmbH is a privately held German film production company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Berlin, with a second office in Mannheim. The company specializes in producing feature films, documentaries, short films, and series with an emphasis on social relevance, artistic diversity, and international collaboration. Its portfolio spans more than 20 completed projects, including festival-titled works such as Sag Du Es Mir, Mayor Shepherd Widow Dragon, Alaska, Rohbau, Jenseits der Blauen Grenze, Stille Beobachter, Soldaten des Lichts, and the upcoming Berlinale Special Series House of Yang (2026). The company is led by three co-founder CEOs — Jasper Mielke, Karoline Henkel, and Arto Sebastian — supported by a line producer and a team assistant.

Wood Water Films operates a project-based revenue model funded through a combination of German federal and regional film subsidies (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg, BKM, HessenFilm), German public broadcaster pre-sales and co-productions (ZDF/Das Kleine Fernsehspiel, SWR, RBB, ARTE, BR, WDR), international co-production financing (Sundance Documentary Fund, AFAC, Robert Bosch Stiftung), and theatrical distribution via specialist German distributors (missingFILMs, Four Guys Film Distribution), supplemented by direct-to-consumer VOD availability on Vimeo. There is no disclosed external equity, venture, or private equity investment.

The go-to-market motion is festival-driven: films premiere at major international festivals including Berlinale, Venice (Giornate degli Autori), IDFA Amsterdam, DOK.fest München, Max Ophüls Preis, and Shanghai International Film Festival to build critical acclaim and trigger sales agent and distributor interest. Recent expansion signals include a geographic broadening of co-productions into Lebanon, Bulgaria, Ukraine/Austria, and Thailand, and a format extension from features and documentaries into premium series production. The company has won numerous industry awards including Max Ophüls Preis (Best Feature Film for Alaska), DOK.fest München Best Documentary, Camerimage Silver Tadpole, Deutscher Schauspielpreis, and SWR's "Tief im Südwesten" series competition.

Name

Wood Water Films

Legal name

Wood Water Films GmbH

Website

https://woodwaterfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wood Water Films is a Berlin- and Mannheim-based independent German film production company producing feature films, documentaries, and series with international co-productions, financed through German public film funds, broadcaster pre-sales, and festival-driven distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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

Revenue model

1. Film Production & Co-production: Wood Water Films produces and co-produces feature films, documentaries, and series, receiving funding from German film foundations (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg, BKM, HessenFilm & Medien), international funds (Sundance, AFAC, Robert Bosch Stiftung), and broadcaster pre-sales.
2. Theatrical Distribution: Films are released in German cinemas through distribution partners including missingFILMs and Four Guys Film Distribution, generating box office revenue.
3. Broadcasting & TV Licensing: Co-productions with broadcasters (ZDF Das Kleine Fernsehspiel, SWR, RBB, ARTE, BR, WDR) generate licensing revenue through pre-sales and broadcast rights.
4. Festival Recognition & Awards: Festival selections and awards (Max Ophüls Preis, DOK.fest, Hofer Filmtage) enhance film value and subsequent sales potential.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wood Water Films is a German independent film production company that develops, finances, and produces feature films, documentaries, and series, often as international co-productions. The company packages production financing from German public broadcasters, federal/regional film funds, and international sources, then releases completed works through theatrical distributors, public TV broadcasters, international film festivals, and limited VOD platforms. Its portfolio includes the series House of Yang and feature documentaries such as Soldaten des Lichts and Do You Love Me.

Product overview

Wood Water Films is a German film production company producing challenging feature films, documentaries, and series. Their portfolio includes completed works (feature films, documentaries, short films) and projects in various stages of development and production. The company focuses on international collaboration, artistic diversity, and social relevance, creating content that ranges from historical dramas and coming-of-age stories to documentary explorations of societal issues. Key productions include: House of Yang (mystery series), Do You Love Me (Lebanese civil war documentary), Soldiers of Light (conspiracy ideologies documentary), Alaska (GDR drama), Rohbau (construction site drama), Stille Beobachter (Bulgarian village documentary), and Jenseits der Blauen Grenze (GDR escape drama). The company operates from Berlin and Mannheim with a team led by CEO/producers Karoline Henkel, Jasper Mielke, and Arto Sebastian.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House of Yang (Das Haus) A six-part mystery series (6x25 min) with horror elements set in the Black Forest following a German-Chinese family and the strange disappearance of two girls across three generations; scheduled for world premiere at the 76th Berlinale in the Berlinale Special Series section.
• Do You Love Me An archive-based essay documentary (75 min) exploring how music and collective memory shaped the psyche of a generation that grew up during and after the Lebanese Civil War; produced as a Lebanese co-production with Sundance Documentary Fund, AFAC, and Robert Bosch Stiftung support.
• Soldaten des Lichts (Soldiers of Light) A documentary (108 min) exploring a complex world between conspiracy ideologies and self-optimization, portraying people attempting to establish a kingdom in Germany, including a raw vegan influencer.
• Sieben Tage Februar (February, Seven Days) A drama about a single father who receives a visit from his brother and son from Odesa, where they mourn their deceased mother while uncovering old conflicts, set against the outbreak of war in Ukraine; co-produced with Austrian partner Wega Film.
• Stille Beobachter (Silent Observers) A documentary set in a remote Bulgarian mountain village where six animals with hidden secrets reveal the darker side of human superstitions and fears, told from the perspective of the village's four-legged residents; later won multiple awards at Bulgarian National Film Festival (Vasil Gendov).
• Jenseits der Blauen Grenze (Beyond the Blue Border) A historical drama about Hanna who gives up her dream of competitive swimming in the GDR and flees with her best friend Andreas across the Baltic Sea in summer 1989, with fifty kilometers of water separating them from freedom; co-financed with €200,000 from MFG Baden-Württemberg.
• Xia Ban Jie / The Great Phuket (Le Grand Phuket) A coming-of-age drama about a rebellious fourteen-year-old whose life changes after the land he lives on with his mother and stepfather is confiscated, discovering a tunnel made of magnetic stone in the ruins of a development area.
• Die Richtigmacher (Do-Gooders) A feature film exploring how the dream of shared living in an idyllic townhouse community collides with the realities of everyday life, unspoken tensions, and personal conflicts when a new resident moves in.
• Zweite Haut (Second Skin) A drama about a woman released from prison who struggles with social isolation and unemployment, beginning to impersonate a police officer on nightly patrols after stealing a bulletproof vest from a client.
• Eigentlich nichts (Technically Nothing) A drama following two characters who experience a terrorist attack in Marburg where technically nothing happens to them, with the night becoming a catalyst for long-simmering conflicts.
• Rohbau (Raw Materials) A drama about two loners—a 49-year-old construction manager and a 14-year-old girl—forever connected by a tragic accident on a construction site, developing a bond marked by closeness and distance, guilt, and responsibility.
• Alaska A feature film about Kerstin, who floats stoically across the Mecklenburg Lake District in her red GDR kayak, aimlessly gliding over the water until Alima appears and finally asks her the right questions.
• Inanna A short film set in Saydnaya prison, Syria, following a character who, after being starved, humiliated, and without hope, sees a chance for revenge when her guard returns.
• Mayor, Shepherd, Widow, Dragon A documentary following four locals in a secluded Bulgarian mountain village that will be extinct in 20 years, exploring how they deal with their impending disappearance in different ways, featuring the last dragon in Europe; co-produced with RBB and financed by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (Leuchtstoff).
• Sag Du Es Mir (You Tell Me) A tragicomic episodic film where the destinies of three people collapse due to an inexplicable act, dissolving into a dramaturgical dance about victims, offenders, and the truth between lies; co-produced with RBB and financed by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg; distributed theatrically via missingFILMs.
• Schneeblind (Snowblind) A coming-of-age drama set in the Black Forest in winter 1946, following a 16-year-old blind boy fleeing with his father, a former SS officer, across the Swiss border.
• Radikal (Radical) An educational short film where a teenager faces the temptations of various radical groups and must realize the consequences of his decisions in breathless time loops.
• Stavanger A short film about a 54-year-old woman who longs for the time spent with her husband before they took over the farm, exploring themes of isolation and forgiveness.
• Heimat (Home) A TV feature film adaptation of Hannah Lühmann's novel about a young mother who moves to the countryside and becomes drawn into an ostensibly idyllic tradwife community, exploring the normalization of right-wing ideology.
• Three Doors Down A feature film about a former tennis teacher who has been living in Italy for two years while missing in Germany, as his mother sets off to find him with an old acquaintance.
• Berlin is a Village A romantic comedy about two people from different worlds who involuntarily find themselves in each other's lives, overcoming internal blockages through confrontation with a foreign world.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple films have won or been nominated for major German film awards including Max Ophüls Preis (Best Feature Film), First Steps Award, and Deutscher Filmpreis

Named customers2 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZDF - Das Kleine FernsehspielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor German public broadcaster as co-production partner for feature films including Alaska and Soldaten des Lichts. ZDF provides broadcast licensing fees and production funding through Das Kleine Fernsehspiel division.
• SWRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSüdwestrundfunk (SWR) co-produces multiple Wood Water Films productions including Rohbau, Jenseits der Blauen Grenze, and House of Yang (SWR redaktion).
• RBB / Rundfunk Berlin-BrandenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBB co-produces Mayor, Shepherd, Widow, Dragon and Sag Du Es Mir, providing broadcast licensing and production support.
• ARTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean channel ARTE co-produces Rohbau and Stavanger, providing international broadcast reach and funding.
• missingFILMscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman theatrical distributor handling multiple Wood Water Films releases including Rohbau, Sag Du Es Mir, Alaska, Jenseits der Blauen Grenze, and Stille Beobachter.
• Four Guys Film DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman theatrical distributor handling Soldaten des Lichts (2025) release with nationwide cinema distribution.
• Filmakademie Baden-WürttembergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm academy partnered on Schneeblind and Jenseits der Blauen Grenze in cooperation, providing student involvement and facilities.
• IDFA / International Documentary Film Festival AmsterdamcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor documentary festival where Do You Love Me was selected for IDFA Forum 2021 and IDFA Project Space 2020. Stille Beobachter had world premiere at IDFA 2024.
• DOK.fest MünchencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMunich documentary festival where Soldaten des Lichts had German premiere and Stille Beobachter won Best Documentary.
• Berlinale / Berlin International Film FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor festival where House of Yang will have world premiere (Berlinale Special Series 2026), and Xia Ban Jie had Generation 14plus premiere.
• patatinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company as co-producer for Soldaten des Lichts alongside Wood Water Films.
• Wega FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian production company as co-producer for Sieben Tage Februar.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pandora Film: Berlin-based independent German film production company producing festival-oriented art-house features and documentaries. Comparably positioned as a small boutique producer relying on broadcaster pre-sales and public film funding, regularly premiering at Berlinale and other major European festivals.
• Ma.ja.de Filmproduktion: Leipzig/Berlin-based German indie production company producing art-house features and documentaries for festivals and German public television. Comparable funding model, broadcaster relationships, and festival-driven output.
• Heimatfilm: Cologne-based German film production company producing arthouse features and series for international festival and broadcaster distribution. Comparable independent producer profile with focus on socially relevant content and broadcaster co-production relationships.
• Komplizen Film: Berlin-based independent German producer known for arthouse and festival-titled projects (e.g. Toni Erdmann co-production). Similar scale, similar funding model with German broadcasters and film funds, and comparable festival-led GTM.
• Zero One Film: Berlin-based German production company producing art-house features and documentaries for festival and TV markets. Closely comparable small-team structure, funding model, and focus on socially relevant narratives.
• Razor Film Produktion: Berlin-based German production house specializing in international documentaries and arthouse features with frequent co-productions across Europe. Comparable in size, genre mix (documentary + fiction), and reliance on public financing and broadcaster licenses.
• Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion: Berlin-based German indie producer of arthouse features and documentaries with a strong international co-production profile. Directly comparable in scale, target festivals, and funding stack composition.
• COIN FILM: Cologne-based independent German film production company working in festival-oriented fiction and documentary. Similar small-team structure and reliance on regional film funds and public broadcaster commissions.

Broad incumbents

• UFA GmbH: One of Germany's largest film and TV production groups and a Bertelsmann subsidiary. A broad incumbent in the same content space, working extensively with German public broadcasters (ARD/ZDF) on drama series and features, though at vastly greater scale and corporate ownership.
• Studio Babelsberg AG: Potsdam-based German film production and studio services major, a broad incumbent in the same industry producing features and series at significantly larger scale. Overlaps in production services and broadcaster relationships, but operates at far greater scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wood-water-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Wood Water Films