Alpenrot to work on films with budgets of €1m or under.

Germany’s Constantin Film has followed the example of US film studios’ initiatives for low-budget productions and launched a new label entitled Alpenrot as a home for creative filmmakers.

Small, independent production companies are called on to submit screenplays and financing plans for projects which may not cost more than € 1m and should have all exploitation rights available.

“The goal is to support new talents, to skim off more creative potetial and give a chance to films which would otherwise never have had one,” the Munich-based company said, pointing out that Alpenrot would support the filmmakers with its knowhow during the financing stage, give advice during the production, and then take over responsibility for sales and distribution. About one or two commercially promising feature films are expected to be released theatrically each year by the new label.

Within the Constantin Film group, the label will be supported on the creative side by Friederich Oetker and Constanze Guttmann, while Christine Rothe [pictured] will accompany the projects during their production phase and the legal affairs covered by Sebastian Bergau.

Meanwhile, last week saw the world premiere at the Filmfest München of the Constantin Film-produced documentary Der Bernd about the late producer Bernd Eichinger, with contributions by Jean-Jacques Annaud, Doris Dörrie, Katja Eichinger, Günter Rohrbach, Milla Jovovich, Roland Emmerich and Wolfgang Petersen, among others.