What Komplizen Film does

Komplizen Film GmbH is a Berlin-based independent film and television production company founded in 1999 by Janine Jackowski and Maren Ade during their studies at HFF Munich. The company produces contemporary feature films and high-end drama series for international audiences, with a catalog of more than 60 films and series over 25 years that includes multiple Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning titles (Toni Erdmann, A Fantastic Woman, Spencer), a Golden Bear winner (Synonyms), and 6 European Film Awards for Sentimental Value in 2026. The core technology stack is conventional film/TV production with no disclosed proprietary technology or AI capabilities; differentiation rests on long-term relationships with auteur directors, international co-production expertise, and a prestige brand built through repeated festival and award recognition at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and the European Film Awards.

The business operates three revenue streams. First, co-production financing with international partners in Germany, France, Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, and beyond, which splits costs and rights based on contribution. Second, distribution and licensing of theatrical, broadcast, and streaming rights through world sales agent The Match Factory and direct platform deals. Third, festival prizes and grants from bodies such as DEFA-Stiftung, Eurimages, and the Locarno Film Festival, which provide both capital and reputational capital. GTM is event-driven: productions are positioned through premieres at top-tier international festivals to drive distribution and award outcomes, with channel partnerships (Netflix for Skylines, ARD/WDR/Canal+/StudioCanal for A Better Place) extending reach into streaming and European broadcast.

The company is organized around two main operating units: the founding film production arm (Komplizen Film) and the television division Komplizen Serien, established in 2019 under Executive Producer David Keitsch. Komplizen Serien is a co-founding member of The Creatives, a 2021 alliance of ten independent European producers built to co-develop high-end drama series. Jonas Dornbach joined as partner in 2010 and serves as CEO; Janina Schafft became Managing Director in 2023. Ownership is private among the founders and senior partners, with no disclosed institutional investor, parent company, or external funding rounds, and the legal entity (Komplizen Film GmbH) operates from Möckernstraße 111 in Berlin.

Name

Komplizen Film

Legal name

Komplizen Film GmbH

Website

https://www.komplizenfilm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Komplizen Film is a production company that creates films and series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB), Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)

Keywords

• Independent film production
• Co-production financing
• Television series production
• International film distribution
• Art-house cinema

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Co-production financing: Revenue generated through international co-productions with partners in Germany, France, Austria, and other countries, splitting costs and rights based on contribution levels.
2. Distribution and licensing: Theatrical, broadcast, and streaming rights sold to distributors and platforms. World sales handled by companies like The Match Factory.
3. Festival prizes and grants: Awards from festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Locarno) and foundations (DEFA-Stiftung, Eurimages) provide additional revenue and prestige.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Komplizen Film is a Berlin-based independent film and television production company that produces award-winning films and high-end drama series through international co-productions. Founded in 1999, the company operates two arms: Komplizen Film for theatrical cinema and Komplizen Serien (founded 2019) for television series, partnering with directors, screenwriters, broadcasters, streaming platforms, and world sales agents to bring productions to global audiences.

Product overview

Komplizen Film is a Berlin-based independent film production company consisting of two main offerings: Komplizen Film (the core film production arm founded in 1999) and Komplizen Serien (the television/series division established in 2019). The company produces contemporary films and series characterized by unique artistic signatures, targeting international audiences while maintaining local production focus. Recent productions include award-winning films like Toni Erdmann, Spencer, Maria, and Sentimental Value, as well as series such as the Netflix Original SKYLINES, A Better Place, ETTY, and Fck My Heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Komplizen Film Berlin-based independent film production company producing contemporary films for international audiences. The core film production arm that develops, finances, and produces award-winning theatrical cinema.
• Komplizen Serien Television division of Komplizen Film focused on developing and producing high-end drama series with international reach for streaming platforms and broadcasters.
• SKYLINES Netflix Original Series, a 6-episode hip-hop drama set in Frankfurt following a young producer at Skyline Records. Won Grimme-Preis 2020 in Fiction category.
• A Better Place High-end drama series exploring a world without prisons through the TRUST rehabilitation program in fictional city Rheinstadt.
• ETTY Series by Hagai Levi about Etty Hillesum, celebrating world premiere at Venice International Film Festival 2025.
• Fck My Heritage Series about students at an elite boarding school refusing to obey and change the world, in financing stage.
• Ministerium der Träume (Ministry of Dreams) Dark-humored series about three Iranian women in Berlin dealing with loss and intergenerational trauma, co-produced with Jünglinge.
• Toni Erdmann Award-winning 2016 Cannes Competition film by Maren Ade, nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and won 5 European Film Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress.
• Spencer 2021 Venice Competition film by Pablo Larraín, earning Kristen Stewart an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
• Maria 2024 Venice Competition film by Pablo Larraín.
• Sentimental Value 2025 Cannes Competition film by Joachim Trier, Norway's Oscar entry. Won six major prizes at the 2026 European Film Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
• Gentle Monster 2026 Cannes Competition film by Marie Kreutzer starring Léa Seydoux and Catherine Deneuve.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Oscar nominations and wins (Toni Erdmann, A Fantastic Woman, Spencer)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Les Films du PoissoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025French co-producer of 'ETTY' series by Hagai Levi, produced in co-production with Topkapi Series, Quiddity, Arte France, SWR, and RBB.
• Topkapi SeriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Dutch co-producer of 'ETTY' series.
• Arte FrancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025French broadcaster co-producing 'ETTY' series with SWR and RBB.
• SWRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025German broadcaster co-producing 'ETTY' with Arte France and RBB.
• RBBminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025German broadcaster collaborating on 'ETTY' production.
• StudioCanal SeriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024StudioCanal Series co-produced 'A Better Place' with Komplizen Serien for ARD and Canal+ distribution across Germany, Austria, and France.
• WDR / ARD DEGETOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Westdeutscher Rundfunk and ARD DEGETO co-produced 'A Better Place' as commissioning broadcasters for German free-to-air television.
• Film AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Austrian co-producer of 'A Better Place' series.
• The Post RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024German co-producer of 'A Better Place' series.
• The CreativescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Komplizen Serien joined 'The Creatives' alliance with nine other independent production companies in 2021 to work closely together on high-end drama series and build strategic partnerships, networks, and talent sharing across the international production landscape. Komplizen Film is a co-founding member.
• NetflixflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Netflix Original Series 'Skylines' produced in co-production with Stick Up Filmproduktion, released globally on Netflix in 2019.
• Stick Up FilmproduktioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-producer of Netflix Original Series 'Skylines' with Dennis Schanz as showrunner.
• Exile ContentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'Nahual' series by Lucía Puenzo.
• JünglingeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman co-production partner for 'Ministerium der Träume' series.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• X Filme Creative Pool: Berlin-based independent German production company behind Good Bye, Lenin!, The Lives of Others, and The Baader Meinhof Complex. Closest direct German peer to Komplizen in terms of prestige auteur-driven feature production, international co-production focus, and festival/awards positioning.
• See-Saw Films: UK/Australia-based independent producer of prestige auteur film (The Power of the Dog, Slow West) and high-end TV (Heart of Stone, Top of the Lake). Closest international analogue to Komplizen given shared author-driven model, festival positioning, and expansion into global streaming series.
• A24: US-based independent studio known for auteur-driven prestige film (Moonlight, Everything Everywhere All at Once) and selective TV. Highly comparable in brand positioning (festival-to-awards pipeline, auteur-friendly reputation), though materially larger and US-anchored.
• Lemming Film: Netherlands-based independent film and TV producer specializing in international co-productions and award-winning art-house titles. Closest European peer in size and model to Komplizen, with similar reliance on cross-border co-financing and festival positioning.
• Zentropa: Danish production company co-founded by Lars von Trier and Peter Aalbæk Jensen, known for auteur-driven international co-productions (Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, The House That Jack Built). Comparable in creative model and emphasis on festival-circuit prestige.

Broad incumbents

• Beta Film: Major German production and distribution company with a broad international catalogue and world sales operation. Comparable in that it produces German-language and international co-productions and interfaces with global streamers and broadcasters, though at much larger scale than Komplizen.
• UFA Fiction: Germany's largest high-end drama series producer (Dark, Deutschland 83/86/89, The Swarm). Most relevant German benchmark for Komplizen Serien's push into premium streaming drama, though operating at significantly larger scale and corporate-owned by Bertelsmann/RTL Group.
• Constantin Film: One of Germany's largest independent film and series producers (Resident Evil franchise, The Neverending Story, German series for Sky/Netflix). Comparable as German production counterpart with similar co-production activity and streaming partnerships, but at much larger commercial scale.
• Pathé: France-headquartered international production and distribution group with deep European co-production heritage. Comparable to Komplizen as a co-production and distribution counterpart across French-German and pan-European projects, though operating at significantly larger scale and with owned distribution infrastructure.

Regional players

• Studio Hamburg Production: Major Hamburg-based German production group producing both feature films and high-end TV drama. Comparable as a German-language production company with overlapping broadcaster relationships and TV/film mix, though with broader commercial orientation than Komplizen's prestige focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/komplizenfilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/komplizenfilm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/komplizen-film

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Komplizen Film