Germany’s Komplizen Film, the production company behind Oscar-nominated Spencer and Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman, as well as acclaimed German drama Toni Erdmann, has joined The Creatives, the new alliance of boutique film companies set up earlier this year and backed by global production giant Fremantle.
Komplizen was set up in 1999 by producer Janine Jackowski and Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade, with Spencer producer Jonas Dornbach joining in 2010. The company specializes in high-end art house films from international auteurs, including the likes of Pablo Larraín, Radu Jude, Sebastián Lelio, Miguel Gomes, Nadav Lapid, and Valeska Grisebach.
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It launched a TV division in 2019, Komplizen Serien, which produced the German-language drama Skylines for Netflix.
In addition to Spencer, which just scored Kristen Stewart her first-ever Oscar nomination — a best actress nom for her starring role playing Lady Diana in the Pablo Larrain-directed feature — recent Komplizen films have included A E I O U, from German director Nicolette Krebitz, which will premiere in the official competition at this year’s Berlinale.
Komplizen joins The Creatives’ other members, including France’s Haut Et Court (The Lobster), Germany’s Razor Film (Quo Vadis, Aida?) and new British shingle Good Chaos (Ruben Ostlund’s upcoming Triangle Of Sadness), together with Lemming Film (Netherlands), Maipo Film (Norway), Masha (USA), Spiro (Israel), Unité (France), and Versus Production (Belgium).
The Creatives signed a three-year partnership deal with Fremantle to develop and fund high-end drama series for the international production giant. The Creatives team will work together with Christian Vesper, president of global drama at Fremantle, and Fremantle’s Global Drama Team.
“We aim to work with filmmakers with distinct voices and to continue our long-term collaboration with writers, creators, directors, and production partners,” Komplizen said in a statement. “We believe that independent producers are an essential ingredient for creative diversity and unique entertainment, and therefore we are very much looking forward to joining forces with The Creatives.”
The Creatives alliance is a reaction to major shifts in the independent production landscape as the growth in streaming services has led to a boom in demand for new content, but also concentrated financial and creative power in the hands of a small number of streaming and studio players.
