Germany’s MFG backs Black Forest Studios microdrama with $142k

Black Forest Royale has received US$142,000 in funding

German regional funder MFG Medien & Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg has awarded €127,084 (US$142,000) in production funding to Black Forest Royale, a microdrama from Freiburg-based Black Forest Studios.

The funding is for a shortform scripted series designed for viewing on smartphones. Black Forest Studios described the move as the recognition of microdrama by Germany’s established film funding system. The studio said the awarding of the funds is a “bold statement” by the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Black Forest Royale follows a 17-year-old Californian whose life is upended when his mother marries into a German aristocratic family. He finds himself immersed in a world of estates, family secrets, intrigue and romance. The series is written and directed by Nina Gwyn Weiland, and produced by Black Forest Studios.

“This funding decision represents far more than support for a single production. It signals the recognition of an entirely new audiovisual format by Germany’s established film funding system,” said Weiland.

Sebastian Weiland, CEO and executive producer of Black Forest Studios, said the decision reflected the funding agency’s willingness to back new formats early. “At a time when the global film industry is reinventing itself, MFG has the vision and courage to support innovative formats at an early stage,” he said.

“Baden-Württemberg is demonstrating that the future of filmmaking will not be defined by traditional formats alone, but also by the screens billions of people carry in their pockets every day.”

Black Forest Studios, which is based in the tri-border region where Germany, France and Switzerland meet and was launched by the Weilands in 2020, positions itself as one of Europe’s first fully integrated studio systems dedicated to microdramas.

It covers story development, production and post-production, and aims to distribute through its own platform, Snaxx, which is still in development. The company describes Snaxx as a European streaming platform for a new generation of viewers, and it is expected to launch next month.

“At Black Forest Studios, we are embracing an innovative approach to production: from the outset, we develop and produce stories in dual formats – for traditional horizontal screens as well as vertical viewing on smartphones,” said Robin Weiland, a producer at Black Forest Studios.

Other microdramas in the development and production pipeline at Black Forest Studios include mystery Path of the Lost, medical drama Mountain Medical, YA comedy Triple Trouble and skiing drama House of Freestyle.