Trailblazing Woman Elected to Lead Germany's Powerful Film Board

In a historic move, Kirsten Niehuus has been elected as the first female president of the German Federal Film Board (FFA), a powerful body within the country's film landscape. Niehuus, an entertainment lawyer known for her wit, succeeds Bernd Neumann, a former minister of culture, who has stepped down from the role.

Niehuus' appointment comes at an exciting time for the FFA, as Germany has recently revamped its film funding structure. The FFA's funding portfolio has now been expanded to cover all federal film funding, and German producers can claim up to 30% of their local production costs, an increase from the previous 20% for feature films and 25% for TV productions.

While the legislative changes have not gone far enough in the eyes of many in the German industry, Niehuus has expressed optimism about the future. She believes the industry needs an automatic production incentive scheme that is competitive with other countries, such as Hungary, to attract more international productions to Germany.