Just three weeks before the German Film Awards on June 18,X-Filme creative pool's Stefan Arndt has called for German film producers toshow more self-confidence and a greater global approach.

In a guest commentary for the Berlin daily newspaper DerTagespiegel, Arndt writes "producers are not particularly popular inGermany. The first larger financing after GoodBye, Lenin! was one of our most difficult. The upper limit of the budget isoften closely linked to the upper limit of jealousy. But in spite of thisresistance - of the banks who didn't want to give any more credits and of thefunders who increasingly want to spoon-feed us - the industry has forged aheadin seven-league boots."

"Now we just have to stop keeping ourselvesartificially small and remember what the fundamentals are. Which story is worthbeing told'," he argued. "What are the story ideas which really getto you' How does one succeed in achieving the balancing act between a younggenius and big cinema' Cinema admissions are becoming more and more important,but the longing of the audience should not be mixed up with the pressure tohave a box-office success. We will only get any further if we stop justreacting to the latest economic distortions. Let's develop story ideas and relyon our nose! At least in our heads we should be able to free ourselves of moneyworries."

In his opinion, "cinema isn't a national affair"and "We producers should fight against European federalism". Harkingback to the beginnings of X-Filme creative pool which he founded with directorsWolfgang Becker, Tom Tykwer and Dani Levy ten years ago, he noted that "myideas for the future of cinema are the same as then: we want to be exportable,the co-financing must be more international and the participation of the televisionstations brought into line that of other European countries."