Founded in 1991 and with a most recent funding volume of 35 million euros, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is one of the most important funding institutions in Germany and Europe. Its mission is to boost film and media culture as well as the film and media industry in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its shareholders are the federal state of NRW and WDR, ZDF and RTL and its funding partner is ProSiebenSat.1.
The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW backs feature and television films, series, games, the modernisation of cinemas, the development of radio plays and audiovisual content, and supports up-and-coming film and media talents in NRW. Its brief also covers the marketing and development of the media region as well as its presentation at home and abroad. Within its responsibility for the film and media region, the funder holds stakes in the ifs international film school cologne, the Mediengründerzentrum NRW, the Grimme Institut and German Films.