The demand for functional films and functional coatings which offer additional benefits to their users or which can combine several tailored properties and functions is growing. In converging markets like the security and IT markets, they help to reduce complexity and therefore cost of semi finished goods and end products. In the area of photonics, new optical and photo-optical films will allow new technical solutions in the near future. A new class of dry photopolymers was developed by Bayer MaterialScience which shows high optical quality, excellent holographic properties and ease of use. A mechanistic model of these materials is discussed and the variety of today's and coming applications is sketched.