Around 600 guests are celebrating the 30th anniversary of MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg at the Wagenhallen in Stuttgart. Minister President Winfried Kretschmann gave a speech.

MFG Baden-Württemberg celebrated its 30th anniversary with a festive evening at the Wagenhallen in Stuttgart. Around 600 guests, including representatives from politics, culture, film, the media, and the creative industries, came together to celebrate three decades of successful funding and networking. MFG Baden-Württemberg is an institution of the state of Baden-Württemberg and Südwestrundfunk (SWR) public broadcaster. MFG is short for Medien and Filmgesellschaft, which translates as Media and Film Society. The aim of MFG is to promote film culture and film industry as well as the cultural and creative industries in the Southwest of Germany.

The keynote speech was delivered by Baden-Württemberg's Minister President, Winfried Kretschmann: "Baden-Württemberg is a 'film state'. A look back at 30 years of MFG reveals a string of resounding successes, in areas such as film, animation and games. MFG has always had a keen instinct for identifying the material, ideas and people that need support. Almost 200,000 people work in the cultural and creative industries in this state. This sector of the economy is of paramount importance to us, particularly in terms of economic transformation. Film culture, the film industry, the cultural and creative industries, and digital culture in our museums are real drivers of innovation and important components of state policy. That is why the state government is committed to ensuring that the federal government's film funding reform takes into account the structural characteristics of our film-making region."

MFG's second shareholder, Südwestrundfunk, also emphasised the institution's importance for the state's cultural infrastructure. SWR Director General Prof. Dr. Kai Gniffke said: "MFG is a creative driving force and enabler. It combines vision with reliable structures and supports those who shape our society through film, games and creativity. (...) For SWR, it is particularly important to create a trusting space for exchange between creative individuals, institutions, and the public."

Carl Bergengruen, Managing Director of MFG, said: "We have every reason to celebrate. Thanks to our funding, outstanding, multi-award-winning feature films, documentaries and games have been produced in Baden-Württemberg. We have established Baden-Württemberg as the leading location in Germany for animated and digital feature film production. The creative industries in Baden-Württemberg, which we support, are thriving in tough competition with other locations."

Founded in 1995 as a joint initiative between the state and SWR, MFG combines film funding with the promotion of the creative industries across sectors in Germany. Since 2017, its second division has operated under the name MFG Kreativ. Aimed specifically at the cultural and creative industries in Baden-Württemberg - from game studios to publishing houses - its goal is to strengthen creative companies by providing advice, training, networking opportunities and targeted support. There is a particular focus on the games industry in Baden-Württemberg, which had a turnover of around €190 million in 2022 and has grown by 210 per cent since 2015. Financial support from Games BW, the Developer Boost start-up programme, and networking events such as Open Stages and the Gamestate Festival Baden-Württemberg help young studios transition from training to start-up and business development. MFG also provides targeted support to museums and cultural institutions in their digital transformation within the field of digital culture. Examples include "Level Up! Gamification in Museums".

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Marcel Kleffmann
Marcel Kleffmann