Political divisions and heated ideological debates have dominated the conversation at this year’s Berlin film festival, but this week also saw the launch of a new German-Israeli film initiative aimed at fostering cross-border collaboration across film, television and theater.
The FutureNarrative Fund was officially unveiled at a co-production get-together attended by around 50 film and cultural professionals from Germany and Israel, including representatives from major public funders, broadcasters, production companies and studios.
The association describes its core mission as building an independent, professional framework to support high-quality German-Israeli co-productions. It plans to back both established industry figures and emerging talent, with a focus on developing projects intended for international circulation.
“If we want tomorrow’s world to be shaped by understanding, we must tell the stories today that create empathy,” said Sharon On, a theater and film director and one of the fund’s co-founders. “Culture is not a side stage – it is a central arena of social discourse.”
According to the founders, the FutureNarrative Fund aims to move beyond symbolic gestures of cooperation and instead create durable working structures. “German-Israeli collaboration today is not a symbolic gesture, but a responsibility,” said Lihi Nagler, a film scholar and curator. “When narratives are distorted, we cannot remain silent. We need professional structures that ensure our perspectives are made visible.”
Producer and composer Mark Pinhasov said the emphasis would be on projects with tangible international viability. “We are not building symbolic bridges, but concrete working relationships – with strong partners and projects capable of standing their ground internationally,” he said. “Culture has the power to rebuild trust and create social impact. That is exactly what we stand for.”
The fund intends to finance its activities through a mix of private investors, sponsorships from the film and cultural sectors, and public funding. Organizers say the approach will be long-term and sustainability-focused, designed to strengthen German-Israeli cultural cooperation over time rather than through one-off initiatives.
Among those attending the launch event were Kirsten Niehuus, president of the German Federal Film Board (FFA); Sarah Duve-Schmid, managing director of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg; and Pnina Halfon Lang, artistic director of the Israeli Content Marketing Foundation. Producers and executives present included producer Danna Stern (On The Spectrum, Your Honor); Johann Buchholz of Friday Films; Nataly Kudiabor and Marc Lepetit of Ufa; Christian Honeck of Disney; Carolin Halperin of Rbb/ARTE; and Andreas Knoblauch and Michael Lehmann of Studio Hamburg. Directors Yaelle Kayam, Shirel Peleg and Dror Zahavi were also in attendance, along with actor Garry Fischmann.
Beyond financing, the association seeks to create a structured network for exchange, encouraging collaboration between producers, broadcasters, directors and cultural institutions in both countries. Its stated goal is to foster projects that counter stereotypes and prejudice by foregrounding nuanced narratives and shared perspectives.
Left unsaid at the launch was the backlash against Israeli productions that has followed in the wake of the war in Gaza. Speaking off the record, several Israeli producers have told The Hollywood Reporter that Israeli stories have become harder to finance and sell internationally, with many potential co-production partners wary of working with Israeli talent or companies.
Canadian producer Bill Marks, in Berlin to promote his new feature The Betrayers, which is set in Israel and Ukraine, said the Israeli component of the project, “makes it toxic” for many buyers. “People are afraid if the show, if the film will invite protests.”