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Apply for reference film funding Screenplay Preproduction

Service Description

You can receive funding of up to 75 percent, but in any case up to EUR 100,000, for the following costly measures:

  • Procurement of material,
  • script acquisition, or
  • script development, or
  • preparation of a new feature-length film.

If you have received funding from other institutions, this will be deducted from your project costs.

You are obliged to inform the German Federal Film Board (FFA) whether and from which other funding institutions you have applied for funding for this project or how much funding you have received.

If the FFA has granted funding for your material acquisition or script acquisition and development or in any other way for the preparation of a new feature-length film, you can no longer have these costs recognized as production costs in the context of later funding of the project.

You can only receive the funding if you submit an application for payment.
You submit your application informally to the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

You have no legal claim to the approval of your application.

Process flow

You must submit an informal application for reference film funding to the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

  • Send your signed application by post to the German Federal Film Board (FFA).
  • Your application will be processed and reviewed by the FFA's funding department.
  • The application will then be submitted to the FFA board.
  • The board decides whether to approve or reject the application.
  • The applicant will be notified of the decision by mail in the form of an approval or rejection notice.
  • You are obliged to inform the FFA of the progress or outcome of the funded measures no later than one year after the reference funds have been disbursed.
  • Proof of the costs must be provided by submitting corresponding contracts, such as option, license or filming contracts.
  • Proof of payment must be provided on request in the form of corresponding receipts.

Requirements

Applications may be submitted by

  • Producer of the film for which the reference funds were awarded

Further requirements:

  • the producer's acting costs are up to EUR 30,000 for projects with production costs of up to EUR 300,000.
  • The producer activity can be calculated at up to 5 percent of the production costs without a producer's fee.

The application must state whether the company is a micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

  • less than 250 employees and
  • a maximum annual turnover of EUR 50 million or
  • a maximum balance sheet total of EUR 43 million

Which documents are required?

You must submit the following documents with your application:

  • Standard industry calculation
  • Financing plan
  • Proof of financing
  • Description of the planned measure
  • Treatment or screenplay contract

If the funding is used for the preparation of a new feature-length film, additionally

  • Production-ready screenplay
  • Detailed project description
  • Description of the planned exploitation of the film

Once you have completed your project, you must submit the following documents:

  • final screenplay / treatment
  • Final cost breakdown (comparison PLAN / ACTUAL)
  • financing plan
  • If samples are requested: corresponding contracts, invoices and proof of payment such as option, license or filming contracts
  • Statement on the status and further progress of the project

What are the fees?

There are no costs.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Subsidies must be used no later than three years after the respective funding decision has been issued.
The FFA must be informed of the progress or outcome of the funded measure no later than one year after the reference funds have been disbursed.

Processing duration

Processing Time: 1 - 4 Weeks
between application and notification

Processing Time: 1 Year
between notification and submission of the final costs

Legal basis

Applications / forms

It is possible to lodge an objection.

Appeal

  • Forms: no
  • Online procedure possible: no
  • Written form required: yes
  • Personal appearance: no

You submit your application informally to the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

Further Information

Author

Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM)

Professionally released on

10.06.2022

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)

Competent Authority

Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) German Federal Film Board Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts

Address
Große Präsidentenstraße 9
10178 Berlin, Stadt
Telephone
+49 30 27577-0
Fax
+49 30 27577-111
E-Mail
Contact us
WWW
Website of the German Federal Film Board (FFA)
Opening times

Monday to Friday: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm