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Film und Medien Stiftung NRWNewsPressWalid Nakschbandi takes up his post as CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW in Düsseldorf

Walid Nakschbandi takes up his post as CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW in Düsseldorf

The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW has had a new CEO since the beginning of this year. Walid Nakschbandi moved into his office in Düsseldorf’s Media Harbour on 1 January, 2024, and started working as the CEO of one of the leading funding institutions in Germany and Europe.

His new role sees the former Managing Director and Chief Innovation Officer of Holtzbrinck Buchverlage coming back to the Rhineland.

"The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is one of creative hearts of North Rhine-Westphalia. The fund is also known beyond the region’s borders for innovation. I’m really looking forward to setting new trends in the fields of cinema, audio, series, documentaries, games, web, podcasts and AI," says Walid Nakschbandi. "My team and I are wanting to look ahead to the future: we want to work together with our partners on advancing social debates and thus bolster the position of the fund and the media region of NRW. This challenging period of multiple crises is coming especially at a time where we need relevant productions, compelling stories and innovative ideas."

Hailing from Solingen, Walid Nakschbandi began his career as a political journalist after studying Politics and Law in Bonn and Berlin. In 1996, he joined the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group and took over the sole management of AVE Gesellschaft für Fernsehproduktion GmbH in 1999, developing the company’s activities in the areas of strategy and innovative programming. As a producer, he received numerous awards for such films as "My Daughter, Anne Frank", "Der Dorfpolizist" or "Letzte Ausfahrt Gera – Acht Stunden mit Beate Zschäpe". After working at Pan Macmillan in Palo Alto/California and Cape Town/South Africa, Walid Nakschbandi joined the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group holding company in 2020 as Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer. Most recently, he was Chief Innovation Officer at Holtzbrinck Buchverlage where he drove the transformation to multimedia and growth forward.

Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery, on the appointment of the Filmstiftung NRW’s new CEO: "Walid Nakschbandi brings creative drive, enthusiasm and extensive experience of the multimedia industry. The media in North Rhine-Westphalia are not only a strong economic sector with a future, they are also ambassadors and facilitators. They create a community, promote understanding and help shape our society. Walid Nakschbandi has the appropriate skills to take on the major task of film and media funding and to work even in challenging times on establishing trend-setting, innovative and visible features for the film and media hub of North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond. I look forward to a fruitful collaboration and to working together to promote and bolster our region’s media landscape."

Founded in 1991, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW has been one of the most important players in Germany and Europe for over 30 years with an average funding volume of 35 million euros. Its mission is to strengthen film and media culture and the film, creative and media industries in North Rhine-Westphalia. The fund backs feature films and TV movies, series, games, web content, the modernisation of cinemas, the development of radio plays and supports young film and media talent in NRW. Location marketing and development as well as the presentation of the media region at home and abroad are also among its tasks.