Media Production

Mainz – November 01, 2026 -- Regina Ziegler, who built a catalogue of more than 500 national and international film and television productions over five decades, has died at the age of 82, ZDF announced.

Ziegler founded her own production company in Germany in the early 1970s

Born on March 8, 1944, Ziegler was the first woman in Germany to launch her own production company, in a male-dominated industry. Since 2000 she ran the company jointly with her daughter, Tanja Ziegler.

ZDF worked with Ziegler from 1979/80 onward

Ziegler first produced for the broadcaster in 1979/80 with the feature film "Fabian," based on a novel by Erich Kästner and directed by her husband, Wolf Gremm. Recent ZDF productions include "Die Wölfe" (2009), "Flaschenpost an meinen Mann" (2013), "Die Holzbaronin" (2013) and "Die Toten von Hameln" (2014).

New York – October 16, 2026 -- The inaugural Lumara Film Festival, presented by MoonPay and Venice, has named six finalists for a Grand Prize worth $32,000 and 3.2 million Venice AI credits, after receiving more than 700 submissions from filmmakers worldwide.

The Jury Selection award carries $20,000 and 2 million Venice AI credits. Winners will be announced live on October 26 at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in New York City. The festival has also named 16 nominees across five category awards.

Submissions drew 700+ films in a seven-week free-entry window

Submissions ran from July 24 to September 15. Entry was free and open worldwide, and filmmakers could use any AI filmmaking platform. Judging criteria were the strength of the idea, the quality of the storytelling and how well the filmmaker used AI.

Hamburg – September 16, 2026 -- NDR secured four Deutsche Fernsehpreis 2026 awards across satire, documentary and fiction categories, the German public broadcaster confirmed.

Satire team wins Best Entertainment Script for October 2025 extra 3 episode

Dietmar Jacobs and Christian Ehring received the Best Entertainment Script award for the September 16, 2026 extra 3 episode titled "Streit ums Stadtbild – Merz poltert." Extra 3, hosted by Ehring, marks its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a lineup expansion that adds comedian Michael Mittermeier, entertainer Riccardo Simonetti and actress Collien Fernandes alongside existing cast members Oliver Kalkofe, Maxi Schafroth and Sarah Bosetti.