WELTFILME e.V.

What WELTFILME e.V. does

WELTFILME e.V. is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in Berlin in 2012 that supports filmmakers in developing countries through workshops, film productions, and screenings. The organization's core activities center on a Train-the-Trainer methodology, where it educates local film instructors who subsequently train young people aged 14-24 in their home countries. Its geographic focus has progressively concentrated on West Africa, spanning Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo, with earlier activities in South Sudan, India, Kenya, and Colombia. The organization operates with a small team of approximately 6 staff, most of whom work on an unsalaried basis with project-based honoraria.

The organization's product portfolio includes the Digital Film School Africa online learning platform (hosted on atingi.org with YMCA Ghana and AUCC), the Media Hub Education Centre (MHEC) physical film school in Accra, the Film Network West Africa (FNWA) regional network of five partner organizations, Film Workshop Programs covering cinematography, editing, documentary filmmaking, screenwriting, and film directing, and Mobile Cinema Tours for distribution. Output is delivered through multiple channels: pop-up cinema screenings across West African towns and villages, national television broadcasts in five countries, international film festivals, DVD distribution, and online streaming. Across its history, WELTFILME has produced over 100 short films and trained more than 200 young filmmakers in a single year during the 2020 RIGHT ON! COVID-19 response project.

WELTFILME operates a charitable funding model with no products or services sold. Revenue is generated through German government development grants, primarily from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and GIZ GmbH, which each constitute more than 10% of annual income. Additional funding comes from individual donations (with options at €10, €20, €50, and €250, processed via GLS Bank), supplemented by contributions from organizations such as Brot für die Welt. The organization maintains administrative costs under 2% annually, is a member of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, and publishes annual reports and financial summaries on its website.

Name

WELTFILME e.V.

Legal name

WELTFILME e.V.

Website

https://weltfilme.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WELTFILME e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit that trains young filmmakers in West Africa through workshops, film productions, and a five-country regional partner network, funded primarily by German government development agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Education and Production (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Photography & Videography Workshops (THAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Film education programs
• Nonprofit film training
• Development cooperation media
• Vocational filmmaking training
• International film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Major funding from German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, constituting more than 10% of annual income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WELTFILME e.V. is a non-profit organization that trains young filmmakers aged 14-24 in developing countries through film workshops, produces short films on social issues, and distributes them via mobile cinema tours, television broadcasts, film festivals, and online platforms. The organization operates through a Train-the-Trainer methodology and a regional partner network (Film Network West Africa) to build sustainable local film industry capacity, with major programs including Digital Film School Africa, the Media Hub Education Centre in Accra, and partner-hosted training programs across five West African countries.

Product overview

WELTFILME e.V. is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on film education and production in developing countries. The core offerings include the DIGITAL FILM SCHOOL AFRICA online learning platform (on atingi.org) for vocational filmmaking training, the Media Hub Education Centre (MHEC) physical film school in Accra, the Film Network West Africa (FNWA) regional network connecting five partner organizations, Film Workshop Programs using Train-of-Trainers methodology, and Mobile Cinema Tours for film distribution. These programs work together to support filmmakers from initial training through production and global distribution of their films.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Film School Africa: An online learning platform for filmmaking developed together with YMCA Ghana and AUCC, offering courses in screenwriting, documentary film and creative producing.
• Film Network West Africa (FNWA)

Products and services

• Digital Film School Africa An online learning platform for filmmaking education, developed in partnership with YMCA Ghana and African University College of Communications (AUCC) and hosted on atginti.org. Provides vocational training and accreditation in screenwriting, documentary film, and creative producing for young filmmakers across Africa.
• Media Hub Education Centre (MHEC) An integrative and low-barrier film school in Accra, Ghana, established in cooperation with YMCA Ghana to provide local film education opportunities. The centre provides physical film training infrastructure for young people in West Africa.
• Film Network West Africa (FNWA) A regional network connecting partner organizations (YMCA Ghana, SLADEA Sierra Leone, NAEAL Liberia, University of The Gambia, and Cinéma Numérique Ambulant Togo) to strengthen the West African film landscape across national borders through joint training and programming.
• Film Workshop Program Train-the-Trainer program that educates film instructors who then train others in their home countries, covering cinematography, editing, documentary filmmaking, screenwriting, film directing, and film production. Projects include JUBA YOUTH, ON THE MEND, ON THE RISE, ON THE MOVE, ALL ON BOARD, MAKE A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT ON!, LOOKING CLOSER, and MOVING BEYOND.
• Mobile Cinema Tours Pop-up cinema screenings that travel across West Africa, providing access to films for audiences who would otherwise not see them, complemented by television broadcasts and online streaming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 young people trained in filmmaking across five countries during COVID-19 pandemic (2020)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 and minor.

• African University College of Communications (AUCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner in developing DIGITAL FILM SCHOOL AFRICA online learning platform. AUCC will host online film courses for vocational training and accreditation.
• YMCA GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Primary partner for the Media Hub Education Centre (MHEC) in Accra and ongoing film training programs. YMCA Ghana hosts film courses and serves as a key implementation partner in West Africa.
• SLADEA (Sierra Leone)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017SLADEA is a core member of Film Network West Africa (FNWA), hosting training programs and workshops in Sierra Leone.
• NAEAL (Liberia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017NAEAL is a core member of Film Network West Africa (FNWA), hosting training programs and workshops in Liberia.
• University of The GambiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Film Network West Africa (FNWA) conducting film training programs.
• Cinéma Numérique Ambulant TogocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Film Network West Africa (FNWA) conducting film screenings and training in Togo.
• XChange (xchange-perspectives.org)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for international development film projects, including JUBA YOUTH and other initiatives.
• Culture Radio (Sierra Leone)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRadio partner for broadcasting films and media content in Sierra Leone.
• MADAM (Sierra Leone)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's empowerment organization partner for ON THE RISE gender equality project.
• Youth Bridge Foundation (Ghana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization partner for ON THE MOVE project.
• atingi.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline learning platform host for DIGITAL FILM SCHOOL AFRICA courses, enabling vocational training and accreditation across Africa.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WITNESS: International human rights video organization that trains activists and communities to use video for advocacy. Comparable on training methodology, advocacy-driven documentary output, and global developing-country footprint.
• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch NGO supporting independent journalism and media in developing countries, funded by European government donors. Comparable mission of building local media capacity in restrictive or underserved geographies.
• One World Media: UK-based charity supporting media professionals in the Global South, with journalism and documentary training programs. Comparable non-profit model, fellowship/training programs, and Global South storytelling mission.
• Video Volunteers: Trains community members in developing countries to produce local video journalism and advocacy films. Closely comparable model: train-the-trainer, developing-country focus, social-issue documentary output.
• Docubox: The East African Documentary Film Fund, based in Nairobi, runs the Docubox Academy training program and funds documentary filmmakers in the region. Highly comparable mission, training-first model, and geographic focus on Africa.
• DW Akademie: Deutsche Welle's media development organization, funded by Germany's BMZ to build media capacity in developing countries. Closely comparable funder mix (BMZ), training methodology, and geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Cinema for Peace: German non-profit foundation using film to support humanitarian causes, with global programs and high-profile gala events. Comparable German non-profit film foundation model, though broader advocacy focus.
• International Documentary Association: US-based non-profit industry association for the documentary field globally with funding, training, and advocacy programs. Broader in scope but comparable non-profit documentary ecosystem role.

Emerging players

• Realness African Screenwriters' Residency: African screenwriting residency focused on developing long-form scripted content from the continent. Adjacent in mission (developing African film talent) but narrower in scope than WELTFILME's charity model.
• Cinéma du Monde: Institut Français program supporting film production and training in developing countries with festivals and workshops. Comparable training and film development mission with French government funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WELTFILME
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WeltFilmeEV
• Facebookfacebook.com/weltfilme.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/weltfilme_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weltfilme-e-v

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WELTFILME e.V.