A guest on RTL Radio's « Background am Gespréich », actress and actors'-association representative Magaly Teixeira describes a film sector under strain: less work for performers than a decade ago, and a lack of casting directors in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg actress Magaly Teixeira, who also represents the actors’ association, was a guest on RTL Radio’s « Background am Gespréich », alongside producer Jani Thiltges (Samsa Film) and Film Fund director Guy Daleiden. All three describe a film sector in transition — not in structural crisis, but facing real challenges, above all financial ones.
Less work for actors than ten years ago
According to Magaly Teixeira, there is less work for performers today than a decade ago. Luxembourg is heavily dependent on co-productions, yet budgets have been cut in neighbouring countries: “Mathematically, if our neighbouring countries have less budget for their films, that also means less volume of jobs for us in Luxembourg.”
She also points to a lack of casting-director culture in Luxembourg, which makes it harder for actors and producers to meet. Unlike technicians, actors are not hired on fixed-term contracts and cannot unionise, which further complicates their situation — particularly around intermittence.
The Film Fund looks for solutions
Guy Daleiden stressed that Luxembourg’s film industry depends entirely on state funding. While the Film Fund’s budget has risen by 10%, that is not enough: making films costs more than before the Covid crisis, while the available amounts have stayed the same. The fund is now close to a decision to allocate more per project — in the region of 10 to 15% more — including for minority productions, in exchange for greater use of Luxembourg technicians, actors and services. The trade-off: fewer projects may be supported.
Jani Thiltges calls for tax incentives
Producer Jani Thiltges welcomed the new system but also argued for additional public support in the form of tax advantages. He recalled that Luxembourg — once a pioneer of economic film support (the former “Taxshelter”) — is today probably the only European Union country without such aid.
The Filmland studio closes its doors
Nothing could be done to save the Filmland studio, where Samsa was a tenant. Studios in Germany and France benefit from strong regional support; without it, Jani Thiltges will again have to look abroad, notably to Hungary. Guy Daleiden explained that the framework set by the European Commission prevented both the Film Fund and the ministry from backing a private initiative with public money.
31/05/2026