“Don’t talk, do it!” Götz George was always committed to supporting courageous projects. He felt a great need to counter the injustice of a lack of equal opportunities in old age.

This project underlines the principle of his foundation and I am looking forward to courageous and bold topics, exciting characters, emotion and a sensitive, respectful approach to the topic of “old age”. In the spirit of a quote from William Shakespeare, “Let the actors be well treated, for they are the mirror and abridged chronicle of the age.”

“I’ve always wondered about the phrase “Now the serious side of life begins”, which is used inflationarily on occasions such as starting school, graduating from high school, getting a master’s degree, starting a career, etc.
The seriousness of life begins with the first breath and ends with the last.And socially relevant stories and situations do not begin or end at the age limits of the so-called “advertising-relevant target group”. Even beyond that, there is consumption, new starts, changes, surprises, excessive demands, borderline experiences, challenges, lust and love.I am very much looking forward to inspiring submissions on topics from the perspectives of the older generation.“

“I think that good stories for films are actually completely independent of the age aspect – and yet it is unusual and exciting to focus on “over 50s” in order to specifically open up and look at this perspective. I would like to see the widest possible range of series concepts with imaginative ideas, surprising themes and interesting characters that fascinate and captivate.”

“One day baby, we’ll be old
Oh baby, we’ll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told…”
(“One Day” by Asaf Avidan & the Mojos‧2008)

“Even though I attach great importance to young, fresh ideas, we should not pay less attention to the maturity and experience of life.“

“What made me decide to take part in the selection of stories about people aged 50 and over? Probably the moment when pausing for a moment became more present and looking back became easier and more wistful. When the future-oriented view lost its naivety, was tinged with more skepticism and behavior and the physical limits became more noticeable.
Let’s plunge into complex, dense, colorful narratives that capture our facets of brokenness on the one hand and serenity and loving gaze on the other! It’s time for more content outside the leading target group up to the age of 49!“

“GRACE AND FRANKIE is one of my favorite series. The main actresses Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play stunning women in their 70s who lead turbulent lives. Miley Cyrus tweeted enthusiastically: “I found my show! Jane & Lily are so bad a$$!” Her enthusiasm helped Netflix commission a second season.
We have just produced MARZAHN MON AMOUR for the ARD media library. Our protagonists are 50 and older, and I think younger viewers are also addressed. Interesting, intelligent characters are role models that we urgently need. Let’s show diverse characters and break down stereotypes! I look forward to the submissions. #RepresentationMatters!“

“Society is getting older and our audience with it. Well over half of television consumption is accounted for by people over 60, and streamers are also discovering their greatest growth potential in older target groups and are looking for corresponding formats. So it’s worth telling stories about the biggest target group we have, and I’d be delighted if people who know what they’re talking about did that. That’s why I support this competition – and also because I haven’t been part of the advertising-relevant target group myself for a long time.“

“Growing older affects us all. Whether personally or in the demographic development in Germany in the coming years. The current retirement age is 67, but at the age of 50 – in the middle of life and with full purchasing power – we are no longer in the advertising-relevant target group. In these 17 years alone – and beyond, of course – there is so much untapped story potential. I watch series in all age groups, but I’m looking forward to a few new “heroes”, to dramatic, clever, funny and courageous stories from the second half of life.“