Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH

Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH is a German film and television production company headquartered in Cadolzburg, Bavaria, with its creative base in the Nuremberg-Fürth-Erlangen metropolitan region. Founded in 1984 by Peter Ponnath, a former TV editor and director at Bayerischer Rundfunk, the company began as a partnership producing films for public broadcasters and industrial clients. It was converted into a GmbH in 1988 under the name "Telefilm Peter Ponnath Film- und Fernsehproduktions gmbh" and renamed "Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH" in 1996 after moving to larger premises in Fürth. Today it operates as a full-service production house for image films, product videos, commercials, explainer videos, 3D animation, documentaries, stereo-3D films and virtual-reality projects. The company's client roster has included major corporations, mid-sized businesses, public authorities, TV broadcasters and advertising agencies. Early industrial clients included BMW AG, Grundig and Tucher; later clients have included DATEV, Nürnberger Versicherungen, Siemens, Schaeffler, Rosenthal, Quelle, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and 1. FC Nürnberg. Telefilm produced the official image films for the 50th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany, a 12-film series shot worldwide over four months, which was broadcast by PBS in the United States and won the RIAS Television Prize. The company was also heavily involved in the "Was uns antreibt" campaign for German cooperative banks (Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken), realizing 64 individual projects through 2013. Telefilm has produced several theatrical films and own productions, including "Der Lokalpatriot" (1984), the documentary "Knechtbauern" (1986), the comedy "6 auf See" (2001) and the musical film "Mademoiselle Marie" (2016). Its work has been recognized with numerous national and international awards, including three German Economic Film Prizes (Deutscher Wirtschaftsfilmpreis), two RIAS Television Prizes, a finalist placement at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2020, a shortlist for the Finnish Kultainen Venla award in 2024, and Gold at the 2025 Communicator Awards in New York for a six-part image film series for Faber-Castell. The company has realized over 3,500 commissioned productions with shooting locations in more than 40 countries.

Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH traces its origins to 1984, when Peter Ponnath, a TV editor and director at Bayerischer Rundfunk, founded a film and television production company in Nuremberg. Initially a partnership, it produced films and segments for public broadcasters such as Bayerischer Rundfunk and ZDF. In 1988, Ponnath converted the business into a GmbH named "Telefilm Peter Ponnath Film- und Fernsehproduktions gmbh". The company soon expanded its client base to include private broadcasters after the launch of SAT.1, RTL and ProSieben, as well as industrial clients such as BMW AG, Grundig and Tucher. In 1996, the company moved to larger premises in Fürth and was renamed "Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH". During the 1990s and 2000s, Telefilm produced a wide range of corporate and broadcast content. It created the official image films for the 50th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany, a 12-part series shot worldwide over four months; a two-hour version was broadcast by PBS in the United States in 1999 and later won the RIAS Television Prize. The company also produced numerous image and advertising films for major German corporations, including DATEV, Nürnberger Versicherungen, Siemens, Schaeffler, Rosenthal, Quelle and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. From 2008 to 2013, Telefilm realized 64 individual projects for the "Was uns antreibt" campaign of the Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken, based on a concept by the Berlin agency Heimat. In addition to commissioned work, Telefilm has produced several theatrical films and own projects. In 1984, Peter Ponnath and Hubert Pöllmann initiated the feature film "Der Lokalpatriot", which was shown at the Hofer Filmtage and won the City of Nuremberg's Cultural Promotion Prize in 1985. In 1986, the company produced the 90-minute documentary "Knechtbauern" about global agricultural problems, shot in Thailand, Senegal and Brazil. In 1992, Ponnath began a film about the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, which became the standard film for the world-famous Christmas market and was last updated in 2016. In 2001, the third theatrical production, "6 auf See", a comedy starring the Fürth duo Martin Rassau and Volker Heißmann, attracted 77,000 cinema-goers and was broadcast five times on Bayerisches Fernsehen. In 2016, Telefilm produced the musical film "Mademoiselle Marie", the first Franconian home film and the first musical film produced in Bavaria, with music performed by the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and the Thilo Wolf Big Band. Over its history, Telefilm has received numerous awards, including three German Economic Film Prizes (Deutscher Wirtschaftsfilmpreis) from the Federal Ministry of Economics for DATEV productions, two RIAS Television Prizes, a finalist placement at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2020, a shortlist for the Finnish Kultainen Venla award in 2024, and Gold at the 2025 Communicator Awards in New York for a six-part image film series for Faber-Castell. The company has realized over 3,500 commissioned productions with shooting locations in more than 40 countries. Today, it remains a leading full-service film production in the Nuremberg-Fürth-Erlangen region, serving corporations, mid-sized companies, broadcasters, authorities and agencies.

• 2025

  Gold at the Communicator Awards in New York for a six-part image film series for Faber-Castell.

• 2024

  Shortlisted for the Finnish television award Kultainen Venla for the series "Ella's Reisen".

• 2020

  Finalist at the Corporate Media & TV Awards in Cannes.

• 2016

  Production of the musical film "Mademoiselle Marie", the first Franconian home film and first musical film produced in Bavaria.

• 2013

  Completion of 64 individual projects for the "Was uns antreibt" campaign.

• 2008

  Start of involvement in the "Was uns antreibt" campaign for Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken.

• 2002

  Second German Economic Film Prize and second RIAS Television Prize.

• 2001

  Release of the comedy "6 auf See", attracting 77,000 cinema-goers.

• 2001

  First German Economic Film Prize for DATEV's "Chip" infomagazine.

• 1999

  Two-hour version of the Germany image film series broadcast by PBS in the USA.

• 1996

  Move to larger premises in Fürth and renaming to "Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH".

• 1992

  Peter Ponnath begins a film about the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt.

• 1988

  Conversion into a GmbH named "Telefilm Peter Ponnath Film- und Fernsehproduktions gmbh".

• 1986

  Production of the 90-minute documentary "Knechtbauern" shot in Thailand, Senegal and Brazil.

• 1985

  "Der Lokalpatriot" wins the Cultural Promotion Prize of the City of Nuremberg.

• 1984

  Peter Ponnath founds a film and television production company in Nuremberg.

• 1984

  Initiation of the feature film "Der Lokalpatriot" with Hubert Pöllmann.

Leading full-service film production in the Nuremberg-Fürth-Erlangen metropolitan region, known for high-quality, award-winning corporate and broadcast films.

• Image films

  Corporate image and promotional films for companies and institutions.

• Product videos

  Videos showcasing products and services.

• TV commercials

  Commercial spots for television and online.

• Explainer videos

  Animated or live-action explanatory videos.

• 3D animation

  3D animation and visualizations of technical processes.

• Documentaries

  Documentary films for broadcast and cinema.

• Stereo-3D films

  Stereoscopic 3D film productions.

• Virtual reality productions

  VR projects and immersive experiences.

• "Was uns antreibt" for Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken
• 50th anniversary image films for the Federal Republic of Germany
• Faber-Castell image film series

1. 1Telefilm | Filmproduktion, Videoproduktion | Nürnberg, Fürthtelefilm.de
2. 2Telefilm Medienprojekte GmbH - Wir über unstelefilm.de
3. 3Telefilm medienprojekte - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Telefilm Medienprojekte - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org