Grant announcement: 50/50 production support

Application period

The application period ends on January 7, 2021 at midnight.

The aim of the support

The aim of The Finnish Film Foundation is to promote the diverse, professional and consistent production of films in Finland. The foundation’s values include participation, pluralism, cultural diversity and artistic freedom.

The purpose of the support is to promote high-quality, diverse and original Finnish film productions as well as the extensive supply and distribution of films.

In addition to the above:

The aim of the 50/50 production support is to support films with a great audience potential in Finland, to find new financiers for film productions and to accelerate the decision-making process and start of production. Through this process, the production company can apply for support for a film that has already secured at least 50% of its financing by means of financing decisions or binding letters of commitment. The Finnish Film Foundation’s maximum support for a film production is 50% of the production costs.

The scoring form for 50/50 production support can be found at: 

Forms

Eligible productions are those whose shooting starts in the year in which the decision is made.

To whom?

Production support may be granted to a film production company registered in Finland (a registered corporation or association) with the professional and financial prerequisites to produce films and to manage their commercial rights in Finland.

For what purpose and how much?

50/50 production support is aimed at the production of feature films based on an artistic plan.

The support is granted for the production of films.

Production support is not granted for completed films. A film is considered completed when its screening copy or digital master copy has been completed.

The amount of support
The maximum amount of production support is €1,000,000.

Previous support decisions can be viewed on The Finnish Film Foundation’s support decisions page.

Development support for the film is considered part of production support.

How to apply?

Applications are submitted to the online application system (https://hakemus.ses.fi) by submitting the application and appendices to the Finnish Film Foundation before the deadline noted in the grant announcement.

Applicants fill in an application in the online application system that consists of an electronic application form and the necessary 1) application appendices and 2) the applicant’s appendices that are uploaded into the system.

New applicants must register in the online application system. New registrations are processed within a week.

Instructions for the application system

Prior to submitting an application, the applicant must read the relevant grant announcement and support guide carefully.

Appendices

Obligatory application appendices:

• a screenplay
• a one-page synopsis
• a production plan drafted according to the Film Foundation’s template, indicating that the shooting starts in the year in which the decision is made
• an itemised budget
  The budget must contain the film’s immediate production costs until the completion of the first screening copy, including:
  – 7–10% provision for incidental costs
  – The production company’s fixed overhead costs (e.g. rent for a permanent facility, data communications costs) are included in the budget as a percentage of administrative costs, which may amount to no more than 5% of the overall production costs (the administrative costs in the final report may not exceed the company’s actual administrative costs reported in the accounts).
  – marketing costs during production
  – film production insurance costsA percentage for incidental costs and administration is calculated and included in the overall budget. The percentages for incidental and administrative costs should be completely covered.If the film’s overall expenses are €500,000 or more, it must acquire film production insurance that covers the produced materials, staff and equipment.The budget accounts for the project expenses without VAT.Using your own equipment
  The maximum compensation for using your own equipment is 60% of the market-based rental price.

• a financial plan
  The application must include appendices providing reports on the financing of at least 50% that has already been confirmed for the production (other financiers’ support decisions or letters of intent in euros as well as commitments for advance purchases) and additional reports on any other financiers.
• a marketing and distribution plan drafted according to the Film Foundation’s template
• a scoring form for 50/50 production support

Forms

Applicant’s obligatory appendices:

Documents concerning the production company must be uploaded into the online application system by the last day of the application period under Applicant appendices:

• a verified and audited financial statement (if the Limited Liability Companies Act, the Audit Act or the articles of association necessitate an auditor) covering the latest financial period
• a valid extract from the Trade Register no older than six months
• a certificate of paid taxes no older than three months
• a certificate of paid pension insurance premiums no older than three months
• a current shareholders’ register (Limited Liability Companies Act, Chapter 3) (delivered only once and updated if changes in ownership occur)

The application consists of an online application form and the obligatory appendices uploaded into the system.

Applicants should start preparing the application well before the deadline.

The Film Foundation’s production plan, budgeting and report forms are available on the foundation’s website.

Forms

How are the applications evaluated?

Support may be granted for the production of a film or cultural product that

1. forms an artistic whole;
2. has content that is based on cultural values originating in cultural identity; and
3. includes a significant contribution by significant creators and artists, and where the share of wages and salaries of the overall production costs are significant.

Support is discretionary. The evaluation and comparison of the applications are based on an overall assessment that considers the purpose of the funds, the grounds mentioned in the grant announcement and available funds in the budget. Other support previously granted to the applicant by the Film Foundation is also taken into account.

The film project is evaluated as a whole in terms of content, expression and production, taking into consideration the applicant’s artistic and professional qualifications and financial prerequisites that contribute to the possibility of completing the project.

In addition to the above:

Support applications received by the deadline are evaluated according to the 50/50 scoring system. The support is granted within the budget to the highest-scoring film projects that meet the application criteria.

Film projects that receive a negative decision on 50/50 support may apply for production support or apply for 50/50 production support again in upcoming application rounds.

Special conditions

• The project’s expenses are approved without regard to VAT. If the grant recipient does not have the right to VAT deductions, the costs may be approved with VAT.
• The Film Foundation may request further information if it deems it necessary for the decision-making process.
• A prerequisite for granting the support is that the recipient has complied with possible earlier support agreements and met their conditions.
• The Film Foundation signs a support contract with the recipient.
• The Film Foundation oversees the use of the support and has the right to audit the recipient’s finances and operations.
• The recipient must provide a written report and a financial report detailing the use of the support.
• The actual overall funding of the project must not exceed the project’s actual costs.

Support cannot be granted if the application is insufficient and the required information is not uploaded into the online application system despite requests to do so.

Decisions

The Board of the Finnish Film Foundation decides on the development and production support based on the presentation of the film commissioner.

Applicants receive a written notification.

Grant decisions are made on week 9.

The decision is based on the Act on the Government’s Support for the Promotion of Film Culture (1174/2018), the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) and the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003).