 | |
| Categories | Film magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | 1947 |
| Language | German |
| Website | www |
Filmdienst (also spelledFilm-Dienst) is the oldest German-language filmmagazine, withfortnightly print editions published in West Germany and later in Germany between 1947 and 2017. It stopped printed publications due to poor sales and transitioned to an all-digital format in January 2018.
The magazine was founded in 1947 asFilmdienst der Jugend, as the official organ of the Katholischen Filmkommission (Catholic Film Commission), and was renamedFilmdienst in 1949.[1][2] From the 1960s onwards, it gradually became independent of Catholic hierarchies and principles.[3] In 1987 the magazine staff started compiling theLexikon des Internationalen Films ("Encyclopaedia of International Films").[3] In 2013, the magazine was rebooted with renewed contents and design, but it failed to significantly improve its sales.[3] The Germany's oldest publication of film criticism, as of 2015 it had a paid circulation of less than 3,000 copies.[3] In January 2018 it was relaunched in an online form, with improved content.[4]