– A survey by the German Directors Guild reveals that most directors struggled to make a living from directing in 2025, with more than one-third considering leaving the profession altogether
A new survey conducted by the German Directors Guild (Bundesverband Regie/BVR) in cooperation with the German Film Academy has highlighted the growing economic precarity facing Germany’s directing community, suggesting that the country’s wider audiovisual production crisis is increasingly threatening the sustainability of creative careers. The survey, titled Survive TwentyFive – Fix TwentySix, gathered responses from 487 directors working across fiction, documentary and commercial productions, painting a picture of an industry under sustained structural pressure.
According to the findings, 71% of respondents reported that they were unable, or only partially able, to earn their living from directing in 2025. Looking ahead, nearly three-quarters expect their financial situation to remain equally difficult in 2026. More than half of those surveyed earned less than €30,000 gross annually from directing, while 37% reported incomes below €15,000. At the same time, 69% described their current workload as poor or uncertain, and 37% said they currently have no production scheduled.
Perhaps the most striking finding is the growing uncertainty surrounding the profession itself. More than one-third of respondents (37%) said they are seriously considering leaving the industry altogether. The report argues that these figures no longer represent isolated personal difficulties, but point to a structural crisis affecting Germany’s audiovisual sector as a whole, with potentially long-term consequences for the country’s creative landscape.
The BVR places the survey within a broader context of declining production activity and worsening market conditions. It notes that recent studies by the Produktionsallianz, Initiative Fair Film and industry platform Crew United all point towards similar trends, including shrinking production volumes, falling commissioning activity, declining incomes and increasing financial insecurity among film professionals.
The association also argues that the recent recovery in German cinema attendance should not be interpreted as evidence of a healthier production environment. While domestic films enjoyed a strong theatrical year in 2025, boosted by the exceptional success of Manitou’s Canoe (see the news), the report stresses that this performance masks a continuing contraction in television and streaming commissions, where the majority of German directors are employed. According to Crew United’s production database, the total number of fiction and non-fiction productions has declined by around 28% since 2022.
Beyond the economic data, the report frames the crisis as one affecting Germany’s cultural ecosystem. It argues that directors play a central creative role throughout the filmmaking process, from script development to post-production, and warns that prolonged financial instability risks driving experienced filmmakers out of the profession. Such a development, it suggests, would ultimately reduce the diversity of voices and stories available to audiences.
Particular concern is expressed regarding the future role of Germany’s public broadcasters. The BVR argues that ongoing restructuring within the public broadcasting system, combined with financial constraints, risks reducing opportunities for ambitious domestic productions. It cites the recent decision by MDR to suspend new productions of Tatort and Polizeiruf 110 for three years as an example of how budgetary pressures are already affecting production capacity and regional storytelling.
The association also examines Germany’s evolving policy framework. While welcoming the federal government’s recently approved Media Services Investment Obligation Act (MedienInvestVG), it argues that the proposed baseline investment obligation of 8% remains modest compared to systems in countries such as France or Italy. According to the BVR, meaningful recovery will require investment obligations to be combined with a competitive tax incentive model, stronger copyright protections for filmmakers, increased public funding and fairer remuneration throughout the production chain.
Alongside the publication of the survey, the BVR has released a position paper outlining a series of policy recommendations aimed at stabilising Germany’s production sector. These include the introduction of more competitive fiscal incentives, improved rights protection for film authors, greater investment in content funding, and a renewed commitment by public broadcasters to creative diversity and cultural risk-taking.
The full survey report, Survive TwentyFive – Fix TwentySix, together with the BVR’s accompanying position paper, is available on the association’s website (in German).
