The most important fact for anyone budgeting a German shoot today is the date. On 20 August 2026 the FFA closed applications for projects starting production in 2026, because the year's DFFF and GMPF money was committed. If your start date is this year, federal incentive money is off the table. If it's 2027, the FFA expects to open applications in November 2026.
Three programs, one rate
| Program | Who applies | Rate | Cap | Size test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFFF I | Producers and co-producers | 30% of eligible German costs | €5 million per film | Total costs of €1m (feature), €200,000 (documentary), €2m (animation) |
| DFFF II | Production service companies | 30% of eligible German costs | €25 million per project | €20m total budget and €8m of German costs |
| GMPF | German-based producers of films and series | Up to 30% of eligible German costs | €5m per film, €20m per season | Set in the GMPF guidelines |
The flat 30% applies to projects starting production on or after 1 February 2025. Before that, DFFF I paid 20% or 25% depending on German spend, with a €4 million cap.
DFFF II has its own experience test. The service company generally needs to have handled two films with budgets of €10 million or more in the past five years, or produced one itself. The 2026 allocation for DFFF II was €30 million, and GMPF's was also €30 million.
What 30% looks like on real budgets
A €1,000,000 German feature with €800,000 of eligible German production costs:
- Size test: total costs of €1,000,000 meet the €1 million feature minimum
- Grant: €800,000 x 0.30 = €240,000
A €5,000,000 international co-production with €4,000,000 spent in Germany:
- German share: €4,000,000 / €5,000,000 = 80%, well over the 25% minimum
- Grant: €4,000,000 x 0.30 = €1,200,000, under the €5 million cap
A €25,000,000 US feature using a Berlin studio as service provider, with €10,000,000 of German costs, under DFFF II:
- Size tests: €25 million budget is over €20 million, €10 million of German costs is over €8 million
- Grant: €10,000,000 x 0.30 = €3,000,000
Applying
- Pass the cultural test. It scores narrative, crew, and production elements, and a project that fails doesn't reach the money questions. The cultural test entry and our guide to international cultural tests cover how these points systems are built.
- Get financing in place. GMPF wants 45% of financing closed at application and 65% at approval, and DFFF I now asks for 45% at application.
- Submit through the FFA Service Portal at least six weeks before production starts. DFFF I and GMPF moved to the portal on 22 July 2026.
- Keep German costs coded separately in the cost report. The grant is calculated on eligible German production costs, so clean coding from prep saves arguments at the end.
Watch-outs for 2027 planning
The 2026 budget was gone by 20 August, and applications are handled as they arrive. A project that files late in the 2027 cycle risks the same result, so build the finance plan with a fallback.
The six-week rule is a minimum. Filing six weeks out leaves no time to fix a cultural test problem.
For international co-productions under DFFF I, the German financing share including the grant must reach 20%. A German co-producer with a token stake won't get there.
Germany's state-level film funds are separate from the federal programs and set their own rules, so check each one before assuming it stacks. On an official co-production, the co-production treaty decides how the German share is counted, which feeds straight into the 25% spend and 20% financing tests.
What changes next
On 27 May 2026 the federal cabinet approved what it calls the Filmbooster: €250 million a year for economic film funding, which the government describes as nearly double the previous amount. The same package includes a draft law (MedienInvestVG) requiring streamers and broadcasters to invest at least 8% of annual revenue in German production, with more flexibility for companies investing 12% or more. The announcement doesn't set out new rates or caps for DFFF or GMPF, so treat 30% as the planning figure until the FFA publishes 2027 guidelines.
Neighbors worth pricing
The Czech Republic pays 25% on live action (35% on animation) with year-round applications. Poland pays 30% up to PLN 15 million per project. France offers 30% to international productions, 40% with the VFX bonus, and Film France lists no annual cap on it. All three are worth pricing for a 2026 start that missed the German window. The incentives hub lists every option, and why productions shoot overseas covers the bigger picture.