Filming in North Rhine-Westphalia: New Movies, Series Innovations, and Historical Stories as the Year Comes to a Close

As 2025 draws to a close—following a productive and intense year of production in North Rhine-Westphalia—filming is set to begin once again on exciting and thrilling stories, both for the big screen and for binge-watching.

Schatten (working title)

Benjamin Teske’s feature film debut , “Schatten” (working title), has just wrapped up filming in Cologne. This genre-bending melodrama tells the story of a young mother (Alice Dwyer) who fights for her life and falls in love with a vampire (Sabin Tambrea) who longs for death. The cast also includes Sara Fazilat, Werner Wölbern, Samia Chancrin, Benny O. Arthur, Susi Banzhaf, and Bernd Hölscher; the screenplay was written by Julia C. Kaiser. The film is produced by Wüste Film and Wüste Film West. Cologne-based film editor Yana Höhnerbach is handling the editing. Broadcast partners include WDR, Arte, and SWR. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW provided 300,000 euros in funding for “Schatten.” Additional funding came from MOIN, the FFA, and the German Film Fund. “Schatten” (working title) will be released in German theaters by mindjazz pictures Cologne.

Husk (working title)

Production is currently underway on the six-part ZDFneo original series “Husk” (working title). Filming is taking place in North Rhine-Westphalia, including in Bocklemünd, Bornheim, Dormagen, Rösrath, Dellbrück, Mülheim, and Junkersdorf. The series tells the story of Emilia Walser (Luna Jordan), who has been tormented for years by guilt over her sister Clara’s (Alicia von Rittberg) skiing accident. Clara has been in a coma since the accident. A new technology makes it possible to transfer consciousness from one body to another. Emilia wants to “borrow” Clara’s consciousness and thus bring her back to life. The series is directed by Mia Meyer (episodes 1–3, 6) and Tim Trachte (episodes 4–5). It is produced by U5 Filmproduktion. After filming in North Rhine-Westphalia, the crew will head to Frankfurt and South Tyrol. The Film and Media Foundation provided 1.1 million euros in funding for “Husk.”

Silence Loves It and the Night

For Kölner Heimatfilm, the historical feature film “Silence Loves It and the Night, ” directed by Nana Neul, is in production; it focuses on a little-known chapter in Friedrich Schiller’s life. The film focuses on the relationship between the young author and the composer Andreas Streicher, which began shortly after the triumph of “The Robbers.” Together, they fight—for art, freedom, friendship, and love. The screenplay was written by Sylke Rene Meyer. Hugo Tiedje, Jan Bülow, Stefanie Reinsperger, and Thomas Schubert star in the film. Following shoots in Thuringia and Hesse, filming is now taking place in North Rhine-Westphalia, including at Türnich Castle. The Film and Media Foundation NRW provided 700,000 euros in funding for “Die Stille liebt es und die Nacht.” Additional funding came from MDM, Hessen Film & Medien, BKM, FFA, and DFFF. Neue Visionen is bringing the film to theaters.

Tania

[caption id="attachment_134276" align="alignnone" width="1985"] Front row, from left to right: Daniel Hernandez, Mercedes Müller, Alberto Ammann
Back row, from left to right: Co-producer Jakob Gisik (Try Us), director Elmar Fischer, editor Caren Toennissen (WDR), producer Fritjof Hohagen (enigma/near future Films), co-producer Matthias Kampmann (Try Us).[/caption]

Elmar Fischer is currently filming the feature film “Tania,” which tells the true story of the East German revolutionary Tamara “Tania” Bunke. In the early 1960s, she fought alongside Che Guevara. The film chronicles her journey from East Berlin to Cuba, her role as an agent during the Cold War, and her tragic conflict between love and loyalty. Mercedes Müller plays Tania, Alberto Ammann plays Che Guevara, and the cast also includes Claudia Michelsen, Ronny Zehrfeld, Hanno Koffler, Anna Unterberger, Daniel Hernandez, and Moritz Führmann. The screenplay was written by Tobias Stille in collaboration with Elmar Fischer and Thomas Brussig. The producers are near future films and enigma film. In addition to North Rhine-Westphalia, filming took place in Eisenhüttenstadt, South Tyrol, and Gran Canaria. The Film and Media Foundation NRW provided 350,000 euros in funding. Additional support came from MBB, IDM South Tyrol, FFF, and DFFF.

Outlook: Start in 2026

In 2026, the filming year in NRW will kick off with, among other projects, the film adaptation of Saša Stanišic’s“Herkunft” directed by Clara Zoë My-Linh von Arnim for UFA Fiction, and Felix Stienz’s adaptation of Tilmann Rammstedt’s “Morgen Mehr” for Cologne-based Weydemann Bros. A series marathon is also on the agenda: John Strickland will direct“Embassy.” Cologne-based Turbine Studios is the German producer of the six-part series.