with Mario von Grumbkow and Claus Herzog-Reichel
Date: Sat, 06.06. – Sun, 07.06.2026
Registration deadline: Sun, 24.05.2026
Target group: Beginners & advanced participants
The online seminar provides a concrete insight into the practice of film financing and costing. Building on the strategic basics of the market, industry and project development from the first seminar, we focus here on figures, plans and risks: From structuring funding submissions and the financing plan to detailed costing and cash flow and revenue planning. Based on examples and the participants’ projects, various approaches will be demonstrated and suitable strategies developed.
The programme is aimed at aspiring and experienced filmmakers (screenplay, director, producer) who have a concrete project (documentary, feature film or short film) with developed content that now needs to be underpinned by a reliable financing plan and a professional calculation.
The following questions will be addressed in the seminar:
Strategy
– How do I structure my funding applications?
– What comes first: calculation or financing plan?
– How do I earn money with my project?
– Do I need a production company or co-producers?
Financing
– What financing components does my financing plan consist of?
– How should a financing plan be structured?
– How high must the personal contribution be and how can it be provided?
– Which financing components can be combined with each other?
Calculation
– What is a calculation and what purpose does it fulfil?
– In which scheme should I calculate, especially for international co-productions?
– How do I calculate the various items (preliminary costs, fees, equipment, travelling expenses, post-production) correctly and what do I need to bear in mind?
– What do I need to bear in mind when calculating fees (social security costs, KSK, contracts)?
Production and evaluation
– How can I protect myself against risks and which contracts do I need to conclude?
– How do I plan my cash flow?
– What do I need to consider after production?
– What are revenues and how do I set up a recoupment plan?
The topics and projects of the participants are discussed interactively. Individual strategies are developed in short inputs and joint evaluations – true to the motto: film is teamwork and networking.
Claus Herzog-Reichel (*1986) works as a producer for European cinema in Cologne. In 2019, he and Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay were honoured with the First Feature Award at the 69th Berlinale for “Oray”. In 2020, he founded filmfaust GmbH together with Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay. In 2023, he was nominated for the German Film Award for the documentary “Liebe, D-Mark und Tod” by Cem Kaya; the film received the Grimme Award in 2024. In 2024, the short film “Immaculata” by Kim Lêa Sakkal was invited to the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. The projects he produced, “Hysteria” and “Sirens Call”, both premiered at the Berlinale 2025. He is currently developing a slate of 5 international feature film projects.
As Executive Producer, he has realised all projects together with Mario von Grumbkow.
Claus Herzog-Reichel is a member of Filmbüro NW, an alumnus of the Rotterdam Producer Labs, Berlinale Talents and the Mediengründerzentrum NRW as well as a member of the German Film Academy. In 2024 he was part of LocarnoPro (A4D) with “A Paradise Lost”. He regularly gives workshops on financing & creative production at the Filmwerkstatt Münster, the Mediengründerzentrum NRW and is involved in jury activities.
Mario von Grumbkow (*1989) has been working as a production manager for companies such as augenschein Filmproduktion, filmfaust, 2 Pilots Filmproduction, Outside The Club, MADE IN GERMANY Filmproduktion and Bildersturm Filmproduktion since 2020. As the administrative arm of the producers, he is responsible for all financial, legal and funding aspects of fictional and documentary cinema and TV films.
This includes the financing, calculation, contract design, team management, filming support and realisation of projects and co-productions with France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Turkey and the USA.
Most recently, Mario von Grumbkow worked on the feature films “Hysteria” (Int. Filmfestspiele Berlin 2025 – Panorama section) and “The Assignment” (premiere 2026) and the cinema documentaries “Sirens Call” (Int. Filmfestspiele Berlin 2025 – Forum section), “Fritz Litzmann, mein Vater und ich” and “Liebe, D-Mark und Tod” (Int. Filmfestspiele Berlin 2022 – Panorama section) – among many other projects in the financing phase. As an alumnus of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne and the Mediengründerzentrum NRW, producer (“Luz” and “Fritz Litzmann, mein Vater und ich”) and author of his own material, Mario von Grumbkow is an experienced sparring partner in all dramaturgical and financial dimensions of filmmaking – especially when it comes to the discrepancy between artistic aspirations and profitability.
He is a member of the Filmbüro NW and the Bundesverband Herstellung- und Produktionsleitung.
Dates: Sat, 06.06. – Sun, 07.06.2026, 10am – 5pm
Registration deadline: Sun, 24.05.2026
Costs: Early-Bird* 200 € / Reduced 220 € / Regular 260 €
Further information on funding opportunities can be found here
Target group: beginners & advanced participants
Number: min. 6 participants / max. 10 participants
Language: German
Location: Online (Zoom)
*Are you registering early for the seminar? Our early bird discount applies up to 2 weeks before the registration deadline. As an early bird, you only pay €200 for the seminar.
The seminar is the third of three parts of the Successfully Producing Films series, which build on each other but can also be booked independently.
Seminar series: Sat, 17 March 2026, 7pm-9pmSuccessfully Producing Films 1 – Offstage: Online Talk with filmfaust GmbH
Sat 09 May – Sun, 10 May 2026, 10am – 5pmSuccessfully Producing Films 2 – Set the Stage: Industry, Actors & Networks
Sat 06.06. – Sun, 07.06.2026, 10am – 5pm
Producing Films Successfully 3 – Show me the Money: Financing & Calculation