Scandal brews over salaries and grants at Germany's Film and Media Foundation
COLOGNE. In his first year in office, Walid Nakschbandi, managing director of the Film and Media Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia (Film- und Medienstiftung NRW), earned €255,000, according to the state's 2024 participation report. The son of an Afghan diplomat thus received roughly the same salary as Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU), who earns around €250,000 under pay grade B11.
Under Nakschbandi's leadership, the foundation provided funding—including a €75,000 grant—for the documentary Now. Where To? (Jetzt. Wohin.) about former Vice Chancellor and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), as previously reported. The case has drawn particular scrutiny because Christina Bentlage, head of the foundation's funding department, is in a relationship with the film's producer, Christoph Friedel. Bentlage oversees the allocation of a significant portion of the available funds and also holds power of attorney.
Established 35 years ago in Düsseldorf by then-Minister-President Johannes Rau (SPD) and WDR Director General Friedrich Nowottny, the foundation has an annual funding budget of around €35 million.
Nakschbandi's Salary Partially Funded by Taxpayers and Broadcasting Fees
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia holds a 40% stake in the institution, which focuses on supporting film, television, audio, and video game projects. Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) Cologne owns another 40%, while the remaining 20% is split equally between ZDF and RTL. Nakschbandi's salary is thus partially financed through the state's media budget—meaning taxpayer money—and by fees paid to public broadcasters.
Before taking the helm at the NRW Film Foundation, Nakschbandi worked as a producer for ZDF and at the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, which includes Die Zeit. The 57-year-old succeeded Petra Müller, who stepped down at the end of 2023. Müller earned €241,000 in 2023—€14,000 less than her successor—down from €213,000 in each of the two preceding years.
The same report also details the compensation of the former director of the Grimme Institute, in which North Rhine-Westphalia holds a 10% stake. Frauke Gerlach, who left the post at the end of April 2024, received nearly €48,200 in fixed salary plus around €3,000 for her pension in the first four months of the year. For all of 2023, her earnings totaled approximately €147,000, supplemented by €8,940 for retirement provisions.
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