Grant announcement: Grant for film production companies whose premiering films have suffered financial losses due to the restrictions of the pandemic period (COVID-19 pandemic)

Application period

The application period ends on 17 May 2021 at 11:59 pm.

The aim of the grant

The aim of the Finnish Film Foundation is to promote the diverse, professional production of films in Finland and to ensure its continuity. The values of participation, pluralism, cultural diversity and artistic freedom are the starting points for fulfilment of the aim.

The grant is intended to support film production companies that had a film with a cinema premiere between 1 February 2020 and 9 April 2021. The aim is to cover some of the financial deficit incurred by production companies as a result of the decline in cinema revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the purposes of this grant announcement, ‘film’ means fictional or documentary films that are Finnish or co-produced by a Finnish production company and had cinema premieres during the above-mentioned period.

The grant may be applied for to cover additional costs not subject to VAT arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, incurred, accounted for and paid before 30 April 2021 for which the Film Foundation has not previously granted support.

The costs may include, for example, the costs incurred by the production company in marketing and distributing the film in question, which could not be covered by cinema revenues, or by other costs which the production company has had to bear as a result of the lack of cinema revenues. Such costs may include, for example, the cost of additional funding acquired in the absence of the company’s cash resources.

In addition, funding may be provided for the uncovered self-financed share identified in the final report for the film.

If the applicant has received or is going to receive funding from other parties to cover the above-mentioned increased costs, this will reduce the grant awarded on the basis of this application by the amount of additional funding received.

For whom?

Film production companies registered in Finland that produced films supported by the Finnish Film Foundation that had cinema premieres during the pandemic restrictions. Development and/or production and/or marketing and distribution grants awarded to the film covered by the application are considered as support from the Film Foundation.

What is the grant for?

The grant is intended to support film production companies that had a film with a cinema premiere between 1 February 2020 and 9 April 2021. The aim of the grant is to cover some of the financial deficit incurred by production companies as a result of the fall in cinema revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants may be awarded only for additional direct costs linked to the project.

How to apply?

Applications are submitted to the 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 application system that consists of an application form and the required appendices that must be uploaded into the system.

Appendices

The appendices listed below are necessary for the evaluation of the application; other appendices clarifying the situation of the applicant may also be added to the application.

Obligatory application appendices:

• Final report on the production grant submitted to the Film Foundation.
• If the film has not received a production grant from the Film Foundation, a corresponding statement of production costs and funding certified by an accountant must be submitted.
• Cost statement of the other eligible costs mentioned in this grant announcement.
• The cost statement must be verified by an authorised accountant and signed by the authorised accountant and the applicant if the grant amount requested is €20,000 or more.
• The cost statement must be verified by an accountant and signed by the accountant and the applicant if the grant amount applied for is less than €20,000.
• Written explanation of the costs incurred by the applicant in the production covered by the application on which the cost calculation of the application is based
• Calculation of the cinema revenues received by the company for the film covered by the application
• Written explanation of any other funding or payment relief granted to the production due to the COVID-19 pandemic

PLEASE NOTE! The application appendices are uploaded to the relevant application appendices. The correct type must be selected for each appendix. If a suitable type is not available, select “Other appendix”.

How are the applications evaluated?

The aim is to cover some of the financial deficit incurred by production companies as a result of the fall in cinema revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic for film production companies that produced a film with a cinema premiere between 1 February 2020 and 9 April 2021. The grant is discretionary support.

The evaluation of the application and comparison of the applications are based on an overall assessment that considers the intended use of the funds, the grounds mentioned in the grant announcement, the appendices provided by the applicant and available funds in the budget.

The extent to which the number film audiences decreased and the companies’ revenues decreased correspondingly compared to the normal situation is estimated on the basis of the distribution and production companies’ own preliminary estimates and the Film Foundation’s own estimate. Audience statistics from previous years are also used as a reference for this evaluation.

Special conditions

• The final report on the film production grant must be approved by the Film Foundation no later than 14 May 2021
• The costs of the application are approved exclusive of VAT. If the grant applicant does not have the right to VAT deductions, the costs may be approved inclusive of VAT.
• The Film Foundation may request further information if it deems it necessary for the decision-making process.
• A prerequisite for awarding the grant is that the applicant has complied with possible earlier grant agreements and met their conditions.
• The Film Foundation oversees the use of the grant and has the right to audit the recipient’s finances and operations.
• The actual overall funding of the costs must not exceed actual costs.

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

Final report

A separate final report of the grant is not required.

Decisions

The Board of Directors of the Finnish Film Foundation decides on the additional film production grant according to a presentation by the Film Foundation Director.

Applicants receive the decision in writing.

The decisions will be made in week 23.

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).

Payment of the grant
The additional film production grant is paid in one instalment to a Finnish bank account used by the applicant after the grant decision.

Further information

Lasse Saarinen (lasse.saarinen@ses.fi)

Matti Paunio (matti.paunio@ses.fi)