Filmmakers
Filmmakers (filmmakers.one GmbH, Cologne) operates a pan-European cloud-based casting platform connecting ~76,000 actors, casting directors, and agents across 10+ regions, monetizing via Premium+ subscriptions and a Spotlight add-on for UK/Ireland visibility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Filmmakers does
Filmmakers is a pan-European cloud-based casting and professional networking platform operated by filmmakers.one GmbH, headquartered in Cologne, Germany. The platform connects three primary user groups — professional actors, talent agents, and casting directors — across film, television, theatre, and new visual media, spanning more than 10 European regions (D/A/CH, France, Italy, Iberia, Benelux, Nordic, Baltic, Turkey, CIS, Carpathian and Caucasian States, Balkan Peninsula) with 10+ localized language interfaces and a registered base of approximately 76,000 professionals. Casting directors access an actor database with expert search, post breakdowns, run eCasting (electronic self-tape auditions) and live casting sessions, and share evaluations with producers and directors; agents manage their client rosters centrally and receive role notifications; actors build profiles with showreels, audioreels, vita/credits, agency links, and visibility controls.
The technology is a web-based SaaS platform built by Denkungsart – Gesellschaft für digitale Kommunikation und Beratung mbH, complemented by a RESTful JSON API (OAuth 2.0, 300 requests per 5 minutes per IP, webhooks for actor_profile events) and native iOS and Android apps gated to Premium+ members. Distinctive technical components include a biometric opt-in Similarity Search (GDPR Art. 9(2)(a)) and an integration with Spotlight that syncs Filmmakers profiles into the UK/Ireland casting market.
Filmmakers runs a freemium model: actors join free and can upgrade to Premium+ at €119/year or €15/month for expanded media limits, Full HD uploads, mobile access, and casting visibility controls. An optional Spotlight Profile add-on (+€159/year) extends reach into UK/Ireland casting. Casting directors and agents onboard via direct sales, demos, and self-service; monetization is concentrated on individual actor subscriptions rather than enterprise contracts. The operating company is privately held, managed by Dr. David Zitzlsperger, with no disclosed funding, ownership, or revenue.
Filmmakers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Filmmakers
- Legal name
- filmmakers.one GmbH
- Website
- https://filmmakers.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Filmmakers (filmmakers.one GmbH, Cologne) operates a pan-European cloud-based casting platform connecting ~76,000 actors, casting directors, and agents across 10+ regions, monetizing via Premium+ subscriptions and a Spotlight add-on for UK/Ireland visibility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Filmmakers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casting and Talent Management Software
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding) (MPADAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Talent Agency & Representation Services (HSACAHAK)
Keywords
Where Filmmakers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Filmmakers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Membership (Premium+): Paid subscription for actors providing enhanced profile features, app access, higher media limits, and increased visibility. Billed annually (€119/year) or monthly (€15/month). Includes Premium+ features vs free Standard Membership.
- International Add-on (Spotlight Profile): Additional license add-on for Premium+ members providing Spotlight Profile access for UK/Ireland market visibility at +€159/year on top of Premium+ pricing.
- Standard Membership (Free): Free tier for professional actors providing basic profile, limited media, and showreel visibility. Generates user base for platform network effects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier for professional actors |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium+ annual subscription at €119/year (€9.92/month) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium+ monthly subscription at €15/month |
| Subscription | Annual | International add-on (Spotlight Profile) +€159/year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Filmmakers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Filmmakers operates a cloud-based professional casting platform (filmmakers.eu) that connects actors, casting directors, talent agents, and crew across the European film, TV, theater, and new visual media industries. The platform provides an expert-search actor database, eCasting and live casting workflows, showreel and media management, project and breakdown management, and a RESTful API, with native iOS and Android apps for paying subscribers.
Product overview
Filmmakers is a B2B professional network and casting platform for the European entertainment industry, connecting actors, casting directors, and talent agents across film, TV, theater, and advertising. The core product consists of the Filmmakers Platform (web-based) with two membership tiers: Free (basic profile with limited media) and Premium+ (full feature access with mobile app). Add-on modules include Spotlight Profile for UK/Ireland visibility and the Filmmakers API for developer integration. Key features include eCasting for electronic auditions, showreel management, expert actor search, and live casting. The platform is operated by filmmakers.one GmbH and developed/powered by Denkungsart GmbH.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Filmmakers Platform Cloud-based SaaS casting platform for professional actors, casting directors, talent agents, and crew across European film, TV, theater, and advertising. Provides actor database with expert search, eCasting/live casting workflows, project management, showreel tools, and API access.
- Filmmakers API RESTful JSON API with OAuth 2.0 and token-based authentication enabling third-party developers to access actor profiles, crew profiles, talent agencies, showreels, casting calls, blog posts, and messages. Rate limited to 300 requests per 5 minutes per IP. Webhooks available for actor_profile events.
- Filmmakers Mobile App Native iOS and Android applications available to Premium+ members for managing actor profiles, showreels, messages, and breakdown notifications on mobile. Provides push notifications and OS-level integration.
Quantifiable outcome
- Platform covers 10+ European regions with 76,000+ professionals, supporting casting in Baltic, Nordic, D/A/CH, Iberia, Italy, Benelux, France, Turkey, CIS, Carpathian & Caucasian States, and Balkan Peninsula regions.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Filmmakers
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Filmmakers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability5 records
Feature10 records
Filmmakers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- International Casting Directors Association (ICDA)coreICDA launched AI in casting guidelines at Cannes 2026. Filmmakers CEO David Zitzlsperger was quoted supporting the guidelines. Filmmakers actively participates in shaping responsible AI use in casting workflows. The platform is aligned with ICDA standards for transparency, consent, ethical implementation, and data protection in casting.
- Finnish Film AffairminorFinnish Film Affair (Helsinki International Film Festival / HiFF) partnered with Filmmakers for the 'Visibility of Finnish Talent' event — a OneMinuteMonologue industry workshop. Casting directors Anja Dihrberg-Siebler and Frank Moiselle selected participants from Finland. The workshop is free for selected participants and conducted in English.
- Helsinki International Film Festival (HiFF)minorHelsinki International Film Festival co-organized the 'Visibility of Finnish Talent' event with Finnish Film Affair and Filmmakers for Finnish actors seeking international co-production opportunities.
- SpotlightcoreSpotlight Profile add-on combines Filmmakers Premium+ with Spotlight (www.spotlight.com) for UK and Ireland market visibility. Profiles are synced automatically; Spotlight profiles can only be edited through Filmmakers. Spotlight login is via single sign-on from Filmmakers. This is a co-marketing and distribution partnership targeting professional actors seeking visibility in the UK/Ireland market.
- Denkungsart GmbHcoreDenkungsart – Gesellschaft für digitale Kommunikation und Beratung mbH developed the Filmmakers web application and API. Concept, realisation and software license provided by Denkungsart. The SaaS platform Filmmakers System is built on Denkungsart infrastructure. This is a core technology partnership for the entire product.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Filmmakers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IMDbPro: IMDbPro (Amazon-owned) is the broad industry professional database for actors, agents, and casting professionals with contact details, résumés, and project listings. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Filmmakers' professional profile database but does not specialize in casting workflows.
Direct peers
- Actors Access (Breakdown Services): Actors Access, run by Breakdown Services, is the dominant US-based casting noticeboard and submission platform. It is a direct competitor in digital casting submissions and notices, with strong penetration among US casting directors and agents.
- Cast It Reach: Cast It Reach is a casting submission platform focused on self-tape and digital audition submissions for actors and casting directors. It directly overlaps with Filmmakers' eCasting functionality and actor-profile workflow.
- Backstage: Backstage is a casting platform and trade publication for actors with auditions, roles, and paid subscription profiles. It serves a similar actor self-serve subscription model with casting listings and is a direct competitor in the actor-facing casting SaaS category.
- Spotlight: Spotlight is the dominant UK and Ireland casting platform for professional actors. Filmmakers has a direct commercial partnership with Spotlight (Profile add-on at €159/year) and competes head-to-head for European actor visibility, making it the closest direct peer.
- StarNow: StarNow is an online casting platform for actors, models, and talent with subscription profiles and audition listings. It competes head-to-head in the same freemium actor profile and casting category, with global footprint.
- Casting Networks: Casting Networks (formerly LA Casting) is a global online casting platform serving actors, casting directors, and agents with subscription-based profiles and self-tape submissions. It is a direct competitor in the same self-serve casting SaaS category, with broader US coverage.
- Casting Frontier: Casting Frontier is an online casting platform that connects actors with casting directors across film, TV, and commercials. It shares Filmmakers' core proposition of subscription-based actor profiles and digital breakdowns, making it a direct competitor.
Others
- Denkungsart GmbH: Denkungsart is the German digital agency that built and licenses the Filmmakers SaaS platform and API. It is an ecosystem technology partner rather than a competitor, but understanding the relationship is critical for a technology diligence perspective.
- International Casting Directors Association (ICDA): ICDA is the global professional body representing casting directors, with which Filmmakers has a strategic partnership (AI in casting guidelines launched at Cannes 2026). It is an industry ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Filmmakers social profiles
Digital presenceFilmmakers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Filmmakers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Filmmakers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Filmmakers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Filmmakers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Filmmakers
What does Filmmakers do?
Filmmakers operates a cloud-based professional casting platform (filmmakers.eu) that connects actors, casting directors, talent agents, and crew across the European film, TV, theater, and new visual media industries. The platform provides an expert-search actor database, eCasting and live casting workflows, showreel and media management, project and breakdown management, and a RESTful API, with native iOS and Android apps for paying subscribers.
Is Filmmakers a public or private company?
Filmmakers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Filmmakers founded?
Filmmakers was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Filmmakers based?
Filmmakers is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Filmmakers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Premium Membership (Premium+) is the primary driver. The others are international Add-on (Spotlight Profile) and standard Membership (Free).
Who are Filmmakers's main competitors?
IMDbPro is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Actors Access (Breakdown Services), Cast It Reach, Backstage, Spotlight, StarNow, Casting Networks and Casting Frontier. Others are Denkungsart GmbH and International Casting Directors Association (ICDA).
Does Filmmakers have an API?
Yes. RESTful JSON API with OAuth 2.0 and token-based authentication. Base URL: https://www.filmmakers.eu/api/v1/. Supports endpoints for Actor Profiles, Crew Profiles, Talent Agencies, Blog Posts, Showreels, Showreel Media, Messages, Casting Calls, and Attributes. Rate limit: 300 requests per 5 minutes per IP address. CORS enabled for AJAX requests. Webhooks available for actor_profile.updated and actor_profile.deleted events. Pagination follows RFC-8288 standard with default 250 items per page (max 1000). API key requested through support page; scope varies by use case. Developer documentation is at api.filmmakers.eu.
What industry is Filmmakers in?
Filmmakers's product category is Casting and Talent Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAFAI, Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding), with a secondary code of HSACAHAK, Talent Agency & Representation Services. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7819.