List of East German films
The list of DEFA films contains a list of all the DEFA Studio for Feature Films realized film productions and co- productions with the television of the GDR or with other production companies - mostly Socialist - states. Common to all is that the movies in the cinema of the GDR were listed. The date of the first performance was given unless taken from the website of the DEFA Foundation.
It lacks entirely pure television films and series, produced on behalf of the German Television (DFF ) by DEFA. There is a lack in this listing satirical short films, called " hedgehogs ".
The film production companies in eastern Germany
In the GDR there was - contrary to popular belief - a whole bunch of movie studios and producers. These were, inter alia,
- Privately organized companies (eg Studio H & S)
- Studios in institutions and ministries ( eg film studio of the Central Research Institute for Labour, Film Studio of the NVA )
- Studios, the companies belonged to (eg film studio of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, Film Studio " issues" of Wismut ) and
- Studios freelance filmmakers (eg film studio Lustermann, Erfurt )
There were many amateur and semiprifessionelle film studios, were borne by enterprises and mass organizations, and often full-time managers and employees or their staff had been released from other work commitments in their operations. Another institution that produced his own films, was the Academy of Film and Television in Potsdam ( HFF). Main support of film production in the GDR - and hence largest producer - but were the DEFA, which was founded in 1946 as a German Film AG, and the television of the GDR.