Executive Board & Members
Documentary Campus Executive Board
Head of Board:
Dr. Patrick Hörl (Autentic, Munich)
Deputy Head of Board:
Marco Visalberghi (DocLab Productions srl, Rome)
Deputy Head of Board:
Rea Apostolides (Anemon Productions, Athens)
Treasurer:
Frank Höfling (OTTONIA Media GmbH, Leipzig)
Secretary:
Stefano Tealdi (Stefilm International srl, Turin)
Board Member:
Dr. Kristina Hollstein (ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz)
Special Representative according to § 30 BGB:
Donata von Perfall, Director (Documentary Campus, Munich)
Documentary Campus Member Companies
As a charitable association registered in Munich, Documentary Campus e.V. is a strictly non-profit organisation. Launched in 2000 by German media enterprises, the association was joined in 2003 by selected European non-fiction companies. Member companies support the initiative financially and benefit by gaining access to new ideas and projects, qualified professionals and high-quality training.
Anemon Productions is an independent production company based in Athens, Greece. It was founded in 2003, bringing together the expertise of five filmmakers and producers. Anemon produces documentaries and television programmes for the Greek and international market. Recent work includes co-productions with ARTE, ZDF, YLE, HISTORY TV, AVRO, TV3, TSR, ERT, SKAI TV and the GREEK FILM CENTRE, and focuses on society, history and current affairs. The company also develops and produces international cross-media projects in partnership with museums and educational institutions.
Represented by: Rea Apostolides & Yuri Averof
Autentic invests in high quality factual content production and distribution. The company represents a broad range of factual and documentary programmes, acting as a distributor and a provider of channels and editorial services for media companies worldwide. Being platform-neutral, Autentic delivers its services to both linear and non-linear players in the global market. Autentic operates subscription based channels in several countries, including ‘Spiegel Geschichte’ on Sky Deutschland, and ‘Explore’, ‘History’, and ‘Code’ in Southern Africa. Autentic’s team helps broadcasters and aggregators to bridge the gap between creative resource and the engaged viewer. Autentic was founded in 2008 by Patrick Hörl and Jan Mojto. The company is based in Oberhaching near Munich, Germany. Held by Patrick Hörl and Jan Mojto’s BetaFilm, one of Europe’s biggest distributor of TV content, Autentic offers a unique background of expertise in both the German and international market.
Represented by: Dr. Patrick Hörl, Head of Board, Documentary Campus
Discovery Networks Germany. Since June 1985, DISCOVERY CHANNEL has been a byword for successful non-fiction TV programming and has constantly emphasised the importance of conveying information in a popular form. Discovery Networks in Germany has been broadcasting the pay tv channels DISCOVERY CHANNEL since 1996, ANIMAL PLANET since 2004 and DISCOVERY HD since 2006 in the German-speaking countries. The 24-hour channels are available via Sky (former Premiere), Unitymedia and other pay TV platforms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (www.discovery.de). In September 2006 DMAX, Germany's first factual entertainment channel targeted primarily at men for men, was launched. Since its launch DMAX has expanded its reach and more than tripled its share of the market, thus gaining a firm footing in the German TV arena. The broadcaster’s appealing home-grown productions and a range of international programming reflecting the interests and lifestyles of men are received by more than 32 million households. DMAX is available 24 hours a day in analog and digital satellite. It is also included in the German cable network and is available via DVB-T in metropolitan areas (www.dmax.de).
Represented by: Magnus Kastner
>> Discovery Channel Betriebs GmbH
With its headquarters in the UK, Discovery Networks Europe is a division of Discovery Communications, the number one factual entertainment media company in the world. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 14 Discovery brands reach 232 million cumulative subscribers in 118 countries with programming customized in 27 languages. Discovery's philosophy is simple: to provide the highest-quality media experiences that enable people to discover and explore their world, satisfy their curiosity and fulfil their lifelong search for knowledge and understanding. Its networks include Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Real Time, DMAX, Discovery World, Discovery HD Showcase, Discovery Science, ID: Investigation Discovery, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Historia, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Civilisation and Animal Planet HD.
Represented by: Marian Williams & Lisa Weinbrenn
>> Discovery Networks Europe (DNE)
DocLab Productions srl. is an independent production company based in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1999 by producer-director Marco Visalberghi on the strength of his 20 year experience producing science and natural history documentaries for the Italian and international markets. DocLab tends to focus on science, history, culture and current affairs, more recently developing a number of feature-length documentary projects. It works in partnership with Gabriel Films in the US, La Compagnie des Taxi Brousse and Bonne Pioche in France, and Ma.Ja.De in Germany.
Represented by: Marco Visalberghi
The Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion, with their headquarters in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, is one of the few German production companies specialized in the production and distribution of documentary programs worldwide. The brothers Christian and Reinhardt Beetz have established an extensive network with international co-producers, European broadcasters and all major German broadcasters and produced more than 50 creative, award-winning documentaries, television theme nights, documentary series, reports, and cultural TV-magazines. Since 2006 the company devotes itself also to new cross-media TV/Online-formats, as for example the produced and broadcasted pilot “Digital Diary” or the new daily magazine “EINSWEITER”, which addresses a young audience. Currently Gebrüder Beetz is working on the European Media Event Program FARWELL COMRADES including a six part TV series, a specific web format and a documentary game in an international coproduction of 18 countries.
Represented by: Reinhardt Beetz
>> Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion
GEDEON Programmes is one of Europe’s leading producers of high quality television programmes destined for international broadcast. Established in 1995, the company productions cover documentary films, feature films, TV magazine shows, youth and short programmes. The films produced cover a wide range of subject material from science and adventure to history, wildlife and culture. Headed by Stéphane Millière, GEDEON Programmes is also known for documenting major scientific discoveries in the realms of archaeology and palaeontology. To date, the company has delivered some 700 hours of films and received more than 300 awards throughout the world. GEDEON’s programmes are produced in HD and often include CGI graphics as well as historic reconstitutions. GEDEON Programmes is an independant group including 4 subsidiary compagnies: BILOBA FILMS - feature film, G3D - 3D production, TERRANOA – international distribution, THE PICTURE FACTORY - image bank.
Represented by: Stéphane Millière
LE VISION, with offices in Leipzig, Germany, and Moscow, Russia, is an award-winning independent production company with an extensive track record in international co-production. Our high-quality factual programming finds distribution both in the German and international markets. While our shows cover a wide range of topics and genres, LE VISION specialises in history and science docs; quality dramatic reconstruction; production in and about the former Soviet Union; programmes in and about Eastern Europe.
Represented by: Simone Baumann
Founded 30 years ago MedienKontor produces high quality TV productions for the German and international markets, ranging from such as the award-winning documentary series „360° - Geo Reportage“ (ARTE), investigative documentaries (“Theme evenings”, ARTE) and docutainment productions (RTL and Sat.1) to TV movies and feature films for cinema.
Represented by: Theo Baltz
OTTONIA Media GmbH was established in 1998 and is responsible for non-fiction TV productions within the Bavaria Film Group, one of Europe's largest and longest-running media operations. Broadcasting around 4,000 minutes annually, OTTONIA specialises in documentaries, reportages and magazine programmes. It carries out its extensive projects in conjunction with regional, national and international partners. Based in Berlin, OTTONIA also has offices in Leipzig, Magdeburg and Stuttgart. Bavaria Film GmbH has a 51% majority shareholding in OTTONIA, the remaining 49% being held by DREFA Media Holding GmbH. OTTONIA Media sees the collaboration with Documentary Campus e.V. as an opportunity to nourish qualified authors and programme makers, to smooth their way into the increasingly complex media landscape and to develop joint international marketing and collaboration strategies.
Represented by: Frank Höfling
SPIEGEL TV SPIEGEL TV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the well-known German magazine "Der SPIEGEL", has been around for more than two decades now. The original aim was to present classical SPIEGEL-style journalism in a manner suitable for television. What started out in 1988 with SPIEGEL TV MAGAZIN has grown into a production company with two of its own television channels, SPIEGEL GESCHICHTE and SPIEGEL TV Digital, and six different broadcast windows on RTL, Sat.1 and VOX. The 240 staff members supplied last year 508 hours of factual programming. SPIEGEL TV is an award-winning producer with a strong focus on history, science, discovery, social issues and current affairs. Its productions acclaim regularly the audiences and critics – many of them produced in cooperation with broadcasters like ARD, ZDF, ARTE, BBC, WGBH, National Geographic.
Represented by: Cassian von Salomon
Stefilm is one of the leading documentary production companies in Italy. It is committed to creating and distributing documentary programming which brings Italian themes and talent to the rest of the world and to re-establishing a thriving documentary culture in Italy. Stefilm's productions have been co-financed with over 50 broadcasting, institutional and independent partners in Europe and North America. The company produces one-offs and series on historical, social and cultural issues. Stefilm's award winning films include CITIZEN BERLUSCONI, nominated for a Grimme Award in the year 2004; PORTO MARGHERA – VENICE 59th Mostra del Cinema di Venezia 2002, SORRISO AMARO (RICE GIRLS) 60th Mostra del Cinema di Venezia 2003 and MoMA New York, International Documentary Fortnight.
Represented by: Stefano Tealdi
TANGRAM International GmbH continues in the tradition of TANGRAM Christian Bauer Filmproduktion. Since Christian Bauer’s sudden passing in 2009, the team at TANGRAM International has built on the traditional strengths and aims of the company: To work internationally in the world of creative documentaries and in the competitive market of high-end series production. With our knowledge of the market and our commitment to the adventure of making documentaries, we hope to both inspire and be inspired by the collaboration with filmmakers and producers under the umbrella of Documentary Campus.
Represented by: Dagmar Biller
West Park Pictures is part of the DCD Media Plc group based in London and specialising in the production of high-quality documentaries designed for the needs of the international marketplace and the demands of the world's leading broadcasters. West Park Pictures has concentrated on feature documentaries, history, anthropology and science programmes, and the company has collaborated with Werner Herzog over the past few years as a co-producer of "Wheel of Time", "The White Diamond", and with André Singer as producer of "The Wild Blue Yonder". Among recent productions are the 5-part series “Stephen Fry in America” for BBC1, an HD series on Traditional Art, and the 6-part series for BBC 2 entitled “Last Chance to See.”
Represented by: Dr. André Singer
ZDF Enterprises was founded in the year 1993 as a 100% private subsidiary of ZDF, one of the biggest and most renowned television broadcasters in Europe. On behalf of ZDF, ZDF Enterprises is responsible for worldwide programme sales, the implementation of international coproductions, license purchasing for quality programmes, marketing online rights and the merchandising of strong ZDF programme brands. In addition to its commercial activities for ZDF, ZDF Enterprises has also been able to establish itself successfully as an independent market player in both national and international environments. As part of a powerful Group, the company has at its disposal the largest German-language programme collection in the world, consisting of series and mini-series, TV movies, documentaries and children’s programmes. As an internationally successful enterprise in the production and distribution of high-quality documentary films, ZDF Enterprises views Documentary Campus e.V. as an important element amidst their international strategic collaborations.
Represented by: Dr. Kristina Hollstein
