with Claus Herzog-Reichel and Mario von Grumbkow
Date: Tue, 17.03.2026, 7pm – 9pm
Registration deadline: Tue, 10.03.2026
Target group: Beginners & advanced students
In the online talk, Claus Herzog-Reichel and Mario von Grumbkow share their network and industry knowledge. They report on how they got to know the players and structures in the industry step by step and give tips on how to set up a film production company. Participants will gain an insight into the working philosophy of filmfaust GmbH and orientation for entering industry networks.
The online talk marks the start of the three-part seminar series Successfully producing films. The participation in the first part is free of charge.
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.
Date: Tue, 17.03.2026, 7pm – 9pm
Registration deadline: Tue, 10.03.2026
Costs: Participation is free of charge.
Target group: Beginners & advanced participants
Language: German
Location: Online (Zoom)
The seminar is the first of three parts of the Successful Film Production series, which build on each other but can also be booked independently.
Seminar series:
Tue, 17.03.2026, 7pm – 9pm
Successfully producing films 1 – Offstage: Online talk with filmfaust GmbH
Successfully Producing Films 2 – Set the Stage: Industry, Actors & Networks
Sat, 06.06. – Sun, 07.06.2026, 10-17 hrs
Successfully Producing Films 3 – Show me the Money: Financing & Calculation