Locations BBFC

BBFC Meets SAE: What We Learned About Filming Permits and Locations in Berlin

A few weeks ago, the asyougo productions team headed to the "BBFC meets SAE" workshop. If you're an independent filmmaker or indie production company in Berlin right now, this was exactly the kind of session you don't want to miss.

The Berlin Brandenburg Film Commission (BBFC) came in with real, up-to-date information about how to actually navigate the Berlin film permit process (Drehgenehmigung). Not just the theoretical, but the on-the-ground reality of what's changed, what riles people up, and how to stay ahead of it. 

For indie productions and small Berlin film crews especially, this stuff matters. Bureaucratic delays don't care about your shooting schedule.

There was one recurring theme: Talk to local authorities early. Like, earlier than you think you need to. It keeps the whole machine running smoother and saves you the headache of scrambling when you're trying to lock down Berlin filming locations.

It was a genuinely useful afternoon, where you leave with notes you'll actually open again before your next shoot.

Big thanks to the BBFC and the SAE Institute team for putting it together. We're already thinking about how to apply what we learned to our upcoming projects as a Berlin-based independent production company.