Film producer, Managing Director and CEO of UFA Cinema GmbH  

Thomas Peter Friedl is a film producer in addition to his role as Managing Director and CEO of UFA Cinema’s operations. 

With the revival of the UFA brand as one of the world’s most famous and historic brands in cinema production Bertelsmann, RTL Group and FremantleMedia are sending a clear signal about the continued importance of cinema in the digital age.  

Until 2008, Friedl spent 18 years at Constantin Film AG and various subsidiaries, most recently as President Distribution & Marketing and a member of the Board. He took on the overall supervision of the company’s national and international distribution and marketing divisions, resolutely advanced the overhaul of the distribution structure, very successfully positioning the company in the German and international marketplace. In particular, the systematic widening of its distribution range, with an emphasis on German event movies, Hollywood blockbusters, family entertainment and commercial art-house films has effectively turned Constantin Film’s into Germany’s leading independent production and distribution firm.  

Under Friedl’s supervision, the company distributed the two most successful German films of all time: DER SCHUH DES MANITU (box office in Germany: USD 84.5 million) and (T)RAUMSCHIFF SURPRISE (box office in Germany: USD 66.3 million). In the 12 years that Friedl was at the helm, films distributed by Constantin Film drew more than 180 million moviegoers and generated over 1 billion USD in box-office sales in Germany.  

In international distribution, Friedl was in charge of the box-office exploitation of successful productions such as the RESIDENT EVIL films, which together have generated over USD 700 million worldwide at the various exploitation stages, and PERFUME – THE STORY OF A MURDERER, with worldwide box-office sales exceeding USD 105 million to date. Friedl also helped to manage various campaigns for the Academy Awards, incl. NIRGENDWO IN AFRIKA (Oscar for Best Foreign Film 2001) and DER UNTERGANG (nominated for Best Foreign Film 2005).  

As UFA Cinema Managing Director and Film Producer, Thomas Peter Friedl is currently supervising the filming of the popular children’s and young-adult bestsellers TEUFELSKICKER (DEVILKICKERS) and HANNI & NANNI (THE O’SULLIVAN TWINS), DIE KOMMENDEN TAGE (DAYS TO COME) in collaboration with Lars Kraume (Badlands Film), the comedy TAUBEN AUF DEM DACH (PIGEONS ON THE ROOF -- working title) and the screen adaptation of the bestseller DSCHUNGELKIND (JUNGLE CHILD). Thus UFA Cinema has already successfully realised its first five productions just 18 months after its founding.  

UFA CINEMA is also preparing the movie productions JESUS LIEBT MICH (JESUS LOVES ME), GOTT WILL ES (IT IS GOD’S WILL), DAS WOCHENENDE (THE WEEKEND), DIE MITTAGSFRAU (THE BLIND SIDE OF THE HEART), GLENNKILL (THREE BAGS FULL), MARNIES WELT (MARNIE’S WORLD), MIESES KARMA (BAD KARMA), HEMPELS SOFA (HEMPEL’S SOFA), VATERLAND (FATHERLAND) and DER MEDICUS (THE PHYSICIAN), which will be filmed, among others, over the next two years.