ZDFE Taps Lasse Scharpen to Lead Network Movie

Lasse Scharpen has been appointed as the new CEO of Network Movie Film- und Fernsehproduktion, a subsidiary of ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE), taking the reins as of April 2020 with a mandate to establish the Berlin site as Studio Zentral.

The new Studio Zentral brand will focus on the development of scripted productions for the local and international markets. Scharpen previously set up his own production company, through which he produced various films, including Ugly & Blind and At Home in conjunction with ZDF’s Das Kleine Fernsehspiel. He recently produced the series Druck and Soko Potsdam for ZDF, and the show Deutscher, which has not yet aired. Most recently, Scharpen worked as a producer at Bantry Bay Productions.

Scharpen said, “Our industry is changing radically and the need for content is now seemingly endless. This makes it even more important to choose the right home and partner for your in-house productions. I think public service broadcasting is a great achievement, so I am delighted to be able to set up Studio Zentral in partnership with ZDF Enterprises and to be able to contribute even more relevant films and series to the wide range of programs provided by ZDF and other channels and platforms in the future.”

Fred Burcksen, president and CEO at ZDF Enterprises, commented, “We are delighted to have secured Lasse Scharpen for this challenging role. With his impressive creative skills, he is the ideal person to set up Studio Zentral for us. We are looking forward with excitement to the fresh momentum he will give to the production of high-quality, successful fiction.”