The Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung (FBW; formerly the ''Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden'') is a German federal authority for evaluating and rating film and media, located at

Biebrich Palace Biebrich Palace (german: link=no, Schloss Biebrich) is a Baroque residence (''Schloss'') in the borough of Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Biebrich in the city of Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany. Built in 1702 by Prince George August, Count of Nassau-Idstein, Geor ...

in Wiesbaden. It was founded by resolution on August 20, 1951 by a regular assembly of all German state ministers of education (''

Kultusministerkonferenz The ''Kultusministerkonferenz'' (literally ''conference of ministers of education'') is the assembly of ministers of education of the German states. The body is not part of the federal government, and its directives do not immediately become eff ...

'').About the FBW
Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung. Retrieved November 11, 2011 The FBW, overseen by the

Hessian Ministry for Science and the Arts The Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts (german: Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a university and culture ministry in Hesse, Germany. Since January 2019, the minister has been Angela Dorn-Rancke. ...

, renders an expert opinion on films. Its two

certification mark A certification mark (or conformity mark) on a commercial product indicates the existence of an accepted product standard or regulation and a claim that the manufacturer has verified compliance with those standards or regulations. The specific ...

s for outstanding quality are "worthwhile" (''Wertvoll'') and "especially worthwhile" (''Besonders wertvoll''). In case of winning a mark, screenwriters, directors and other film artists receive so-called reference points; these make it easier for filmmakers to receive subsidies for future projects. Likewise, films rated as "worthwhile" or "especially worthwhile" are subject to lower

entertainment tax Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...

es, depending on the specific state laws. Films are rated separately by

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

. For example, the same jury rated two films – '' Hellboy II: The Golden Army'' and '' Das weiße Band'' – in the same meeting, and awarded them both an ''especially worthwhile''. The first film to be reviewed and decorated by this institution was

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

, ''

Der Verlorene ''The Lost One'' (german: Der Verlorene) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Peter Lorre and starring Lorre, Karl John and Renate Mannhardt. It is an art film in the film noir style, based on a true story. Lorre wrote, directed, and sta ...

''. In 1988, the FBW was heavily criticized for awarding a ''worthwhile'' rating to ''

Rambo III ''Rambo III'' is a 1988 American action film directed by Peter MacDonald and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also reprises his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. A sequel to '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985), it is the third in ...

''. The FBW and the ''

Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft The Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK, ''Self-Regulatory Body of the Movie Industry'') is a German motion picture rating system organization run by the '' Spitzenorganisation der Filmwirtschaft'' (SPIO, Head Organisation of the M ...

'' (Voluntary Self Regulation of the Movie Industry, also known as FSK), also based in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

, work independently from each other. The FSK (similar to the

British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of f ...

) manages a

motion picture rating system A motion picture content rating system classifies films based on their suitability for audiences due to their treatment of issues such as sex, violence, or substance abuse; their use of profanity; or other matters typically deemed unsuitable for c ...

with regard to the eligibility of films for children, and concentrates on how old viewers must be before they might be allowed to consume the examined media without the company of an adult. While the FSK has a remit to examine all media before they can be sold in Germany, the FBW audits all films that can be legally distributed in Germany. Films are audited on request, for a fee of about 20 Euros per minute. The 85 judges who adjudicate films in teams of five are paid on a nominal basis at 20 Euros per day, plus expenses. Because the FBW's ratings are valuable in marketing films and DVDs, most commercial productions are audited by the FBW – even though any student filmmaker can have his or her short film rated by the FBW, too.

References

External links

Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung
official website {{in lang, de Film organisations in Germany Entertainment rating organizations Culture in Wiesbaden Mass media in Wiesbaden 1951 establishments in Germany Organizations established in 1951