Boosting Local Talent

An Urgent Appeal from the Directors’ Association DRCT: Why the German Advertising Industry Must Support Its Local Talent – NOW!

 

Dear creatives, dear production teams, dear decision-makers,

The German Advertising Film Award 2025 is just a few days away, once again celebrating outstanding work and the people behind it. But despite the impressive range of creativity and talent, it has once again become strikingly clear that local talent is being pushed further into the background.

The award for “Best Director” will, once again, go abroad this year—because three out of three nominees are international directors (we’ll skip gendering here since, unfortunately, there’s no need).

Over the past 10 years, the German Advertising Film Award for “Best Director” has only been awarded to local talent four times. And the picture looks similar in other categories: in editing, cinematography, and music, there is only one local Head of Department nominated in each category this year—while in production design, there isn’t a single one.

This is not a criticism of the DWP—the jury can only select from the pool of films produced each year.

This letter is a call to action—an appeal to our entire industry and to all decision-makers:

 

Let’s take an active role in ensuring the future of our creative industry!

 

That means: Give local creatives a fair chance. Without the opportunity to prove themselves and take on major projects, Germany’s creative community has no future.

The numbers speak for themselves: Currently, around 1,600 directors are represented through German production companies and agencies. Only about 380 of them are local talents—the vast majority are international filmmakers.

The urgent need for action is also reflected in a recent survey of our 230 DRCT members:

• Almost 60% of directors say their earnings continue to decline, and that they made less in 2024 than in previous years.
• Around 70% are seriously concerned about their future as directors—or already see no future in this profession at all.
• 50% of directors can no longer make a living solely from directing and have to take on additional jobs.

Elisha Smith-Leverock, DRCT Board Member: “The results of our member survey are no surprise. The local market is becoming more competitive, with shrinking budgets and fewer projects making the pie smaller for everyone. At the same time, the German advertising industry increasingly relies on international directors. The result? Local filmmakers have fewer and fewer opportunities to showcase their talent, take on major projects, and develop their careers. And with that, the future of our entire local directing scene is at risk.This is particularly true for underrepresented groups such as FLINTA individuals, who already face structural barriers. The lack of diversity means that only a small, select group truly thrives in this industry—leading to an increasingly narrow creative perspective. All of these factors combined are causing the German advertising industry to lose its creative edge and become less attractive as a career field. It’s time to reverse this trend—NOW!”

Claas Ortmann, DRCT Board Member: “One of the most common arguments for choosing international directors is that they have stronger showreels. But why is that? Because industries in countries like the USA, UK, Scandinavia, France, and Australia primarily invest in their own local talent and rarely seek international directors. This fosters trust, enables growth, and ensures that directors can build strong careers within their home markets. This kind of active industry support and appreciation for local directors is increasingly missing in Germany. We have exceptionally trained young filmmakers graduating from world-class institutions—only to enter a market where there is no future for them.”

 

Our Appeal to You: Don’t Just Talk About Supporting the Industry—Take Action! Together, let’s turn the German market into a driving force for creative excellence.

 

For the directing field, we’re calling on you to implement these three immediate actions:

1. Commit to Inviting at Least One Local Director to Every Pitch This is not about goodwill—it’s a smart and economically sound decision. International directors are not automatically better. Local directors understand the market, the audience, and the stories that need to be told.
   Every opportunity for a local talent helps sustain the future of our industry.
2. Change the Perspective – Be Bold With the Third Pitch Slot! There used to be a fourth “Wildcard” spot in pitches. The Pitch Standard 2.0 has now streamlined this to three participants, which is a positive change—fairer compensation helps sustain the industry.
   But that doesn’t mean we should sacrifice diversity! Use the third pitch slot as a chance to break away from the “safe choice.” Instead: a fresh perspective on the script; a deliberately diverse directorial vision; f.e. a FLINTA* director; or an unexpected, genre-defying approach—like a comedic take on an emotional concept or a highly stylized visual direction for a narrative script.
3. Chemistry Calls – Stay Curious! Use chemistry calls with multiple directors before finalizing your top three for the pitch.
   And here’s the twist: Give one promising director a chance for a chemistry call—someone who sparks your curiosity but might not have made your final list otherwise. Creativity flourishes when we challenge old patterns. Too often, the same habits determine who gets a chance—but who says those are the best decisions? So: Take the opportunity, look beyond the usual choices, and get inspired. If the director convinces you, include them in the pitch. If not, you’ve lost nothing—but you may have discovered an exciting new talent.

The Best Work Doesn’t Come from Avoiding Risks—It Comes from Bold Choices! And bold choices lead to innovation. At the end of the day, we are the German advertising industry—all of us.

 

Let’s sit down together and start shaping our future NOW.

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We’re counting on you!

Your DRCT Directors’ Association