Maria Köpf, Managing Director of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein GmbH (FFHSH), has advised the company's Board of Directors that she will not renew her contract past March 31, 2019. The veteran former film producer has given a huge boost to the film industry in northern Germany and celebrated huge international success with films she has supported in recent years. The Managing Director position will soon be re-advertised.
Dr Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media: "The film industry in northern Germany owes a lot to Maria Köpf's fierce commitment and her good intuition. During her tenure, the FFHSH supported excellent films such as 'In the Fade', 'Watu Wote: All of us', and '3 Days in Quiberon', which have also seen international success. Together with Maria Köpf, we have continued to boost the significance of the Hamburg film industry and also laid important groundwork for the future. I'm very sorry to hear that Maria Köpf has decided not to extend her contract as Managing Director of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, and I wish her all the best for the future."
Maria Köpf, Managing Director of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein: "I am very proud of the many successful films from Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein that we have been able to celebrate over the past two years. It is still a great honor for me to be able to support the work of talented North-German filmmakers. My thanks goes out to the shareholders of the FFHSH who gave me this fantastic job and have always offered me constructive support. Nevertheless, for personal reasons and because I wish to pursue new professional challenges, I will be returning to my old adoptive home of Berlin. I can already say that I will miss my time in the north, but I am really looking forward to my remaining ten months here. I'd particularly like to thank my great team at the FFHSH, who are always on hand to offer advice and support."
