Grant announcement: Development support

Application period

The application period ends on August 9, 2022 at 16:00.

The aim of the support

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

The aim of the support is to promote high-quality, diverse and innovative filmmaking in Finland as well as wide and comprehensive supply and distribution of films.

To whom?

Development support may be granted to a film production company registered in Finland (registered company: limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, co-operative) with the professional and financial prerequisites to produce films and to manage their commercial rights in Finland.

For what purpose and how much?

The development support is aimed at the production of a film based on an artistic plan. The film can be feature-length, short or serial fiction film, animated film, documentary film, or a combination thereof.

The support may be directed at writing and developing a script, production , cinematography and stage design plans, and other operations necessitated by the budget and financing arrangements.

The amount of support
The maximum amount of development support is €250,000.

Previous support decisions may be viewed from the Foundation’s support decisions page.

How to apply?

Development support is applied for by submitting an application in the application system before the deadline given in the grant announcement.

The application consist of:

1. an application form
2. the application’s appendices
3. the applicant’s appendices

Prior to submitting an application, you must carefully read the relevant support guide.

The applicant is responsible for submitting the application within the deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline are transferred to the next application period.

Appendices to the application

Obligatory appendices to the application:

• Script or other written description of the film’s content
• One-page synopsis
• Development plan drafted according to the Foundation’s template
• A detailed budget of the development period
• Financing plan drafted according to the Foundation’s template

When applying for new development support, the final report of the previous support for the same project must be delivered into the application system before the end of the application period.

The applicant’s appendices

Before the end of the application period, upload the documents of the production company to the Applicant’s appendices.

• A verified financial statement 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
• An up-to-date list of shareholders

For more details on the appendices, see the support guide:

Support guide

The Foundation’s templates for the development plan and budgeting and reporting forms can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website:

Forms

How are the applications evaluated?

Support may be granted to develop a cultural product that

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

Support is discretionary. The evaluation and comparison of the applications is based on an overall assessment that considers the purpose of the funds, the grounds mentioned in the call for applications and available funds in the budget.

The film project’s content, artistry and production are evaluated as a whole, and the evaluation takes into consideration the applicant’s artistic and professional qualifications that contribute to the probability of completing the project.

Other support previously granted by the Foundation to the applicant is also taken into account.

Special conditions

• The project’s costs are approved without VAT. If the recipient does not have the right to VAT deductions, the costs may be approved with VAT.
• The 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 Foundation signs a support agreement with the recipient.
• The Foundation oversees the use of the support and it 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 actualised overall funding of the project must not exceed the project’s actualised costs.

Support cannot be granted if the application is insufficient or the required information is not uploaded into the 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.

Decisions are announced by October 14, 2022.

The decision is based on the act of government funding for the advancement of cinema (56/2018), the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) and the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003).

Further information

Production coordinator Tiina Kivelä, tiina.kivela@ses.fi, tel. +358 9 6220 3016