Manfred Schmidt is the CEO of the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), one of Germany\’s strongest film funds, which supports the development, promotion and strengthening of film culture, television culture and media culture industries in the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

From 1998 to 2016, Schmidt was working as executive director of the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH (MDM). From 1969 to 1981 he was a member of the Berlin “Maxim Gorki” Theatre. This followed a seven-year period of free-lance work as author and dramatic adviser. Within this time, Schmidt has taken correspondent courses at the Leipzig Institute for Literature. In 1988, he started working as script analyst and author at DEFA studios for documentary films; from 1990 to 1992 he was the deputy chief editor at this studio. Before being appointed as the CEO of MDM, he worked as deputy programme director of the culture and science department at the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) broadcasting station from 1992 to 1998.

Schmidt is a member of the European Film Academy, Kuratorium Förderverein Deutscher Kinderfilm e.V.,  Member Advisory Board of Script EAST and Advisory Board of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Jerusalem and Member Expert Committee of IDM Filmfund South Tyrol.

Throughout his career, Schmidt has been working and advising extensively with Balkan film funds, production companies, distributors and festivals.