The international representation of German filmsreceived a boost this week with the Export-Union of German Cinema opening itsdoors to six new shareholders in a revamped agency called German Films Service+ Marketing.

The existing shareholders of the Association ofGerman Feature Film Producers, the Association of New German Feature FilmProducers, the Association of German Film Exporters and the German Federal FilmBoard (FFA) will now be joined by the German Short Film Association ag Kurzfilm,the German Documentary Association ag dok, the German Association of GermanTelevision Producers BdF, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmstiftung NRW andStiftung Deutsche Kinemathek.

Until now, the Export-Union's statutes had meantthat it had concentrate on promoting feature films, but the new agency will nowexpand its brief to provide promotional support for shorts, documentaries andTV films.

"A first important step has beentaken", board chairman Alfred Huermer commented. "German Films ismuch larger compared to the preceding organisation. Now it is up to us with allof the shareholders and the management to set new goals and to then translatethem into activities for German films as from next year."