Grant announcement: Marketing and distribution support for documentary and short films

Application period

The application period ends on April 4, 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. The Foundation’s values include participation, pluralism, cultural diversity and artistic freedom.

The purpose of the support is to promote the broad and extensive supply and distribution of Finnish film productions primarily in cinemas, through various distribution channels and platforms as well as to advance the availability and audience share of Finnish films.

To whom?

Support is granted primarily to films that have received the Foundation’s development and production support. Support may be granted to a professional distribution company registered in Finland who owns the film’s Finnish distribution rights, or to a production company that manages the film’s rights in Finland.

The applicant should be the party responsible for marketing who has the required expertise and skills.

For what purpose and how much?

The marketing and distribution support is aimed at the marketing and distribution costs of feature-length documentary films and short fiction, animation or children’s films based on an artistic plan.

Support may be granted for the marketing and distribution costs of Finnish and international co-productions in various Finnish distribution channels and platforms.

Support may be granted for theatrical distribution, impact work, other campaigns and the marketing and distribution costs of combinations of different distribution and marketing forms.

One support application should cover all distribution channels, including DVD/Bluray distribution and streaming platforms. Support is not granted for distribution solely on DVD/Bluray or on streaming platforms.

The amount of support
The maximum amount of the marketing and distribution support is 45,000 euros.

For a feature-length documentary film, the support may exceed 45,000 euros and be maximum 130,000 euros only if,

1. the film has an exceptionally high audience potential in theatrical distribution for a documentary film,
2. the project has other confirmed financing besides the Foundation’s support,
3. the applican will provide the film a wide, national theatrical distribution, and 
4. the applicant will organize a screening of the film for the person processing the application. The screening must happen after picture lock and on a DCP that is as finalized as possible. The screening copy must be delivered to the Foundation before the application period ends. For valid reasons, the screening may be organized on a different format.

Support that exceeds 45,000 euros may be granted primarily for the marketing and distribution costs of a theatrical distribution campaign. Support that is maximum 45,000 can be granted for impact campaigns and marketing and distribution costs of combinations of different marketing and distribution forms 

Support may cover all distribution channels of the film, including DVD/Bluray and streaming platforms.

In addition, the Foundation supports audio description and subtitling to the hearing impaired by a maximum amount of 7,000 euros. Support for audio description and subtitling requires a separate application (see grant announcements).

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

How to apply?

Marketing and distribution 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

Obligatory application appendices:

The application can be sent once all of the obligatory appendices are uploaded to the application system.

• A signed marketing and distribution plan drafted according to the Foundation’s template
• A budget and financing plan drafted according to the Foundation’s template
• Signed distribution agreements
• Agreements or binding commitments of funding following the financing plan or other funding
• Cooperation agreements
• Report on covering the self-financing portion of the overall funding

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.

The Foundation’s templates for the marketing and distribution plan and budget and financing plan can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website:

Forms

How are the applications evaluated?

Support may also be granted to the distribution 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 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. Self-financing and other financing is considered an advantage.

During evaluation, the project is considered as a whole in terms of marketing and distribution while taking into account the target audiences of the genre and the planned measures to reach them. In addition, the applicant’s professional and financial ability to complete the project is taken into account.

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 is shown not to have the right to deduct VAT, 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 the support is that a feature length drama or documentary includes or will include audio description and subtitling for the hearing impaired.
• A prerequisite for the support is that the recipient has abided by possible previous support agreements and conditions.
• 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.
• The recipient pledges to report current viewing figures for statistical purposes in cinema, DVD and VOD distribution.
• Films that receive support must include subtitling that fulfils the requirement of the Language Act.
• For support exceeding 45,000 euros, additional funding is required.

Support cannot be granted if the application is insufficient or 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 marketing and distribution support based on the presentation of the CEO.

Applicants receive a written notification.

Support decisions are made on week 23.

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

Exhibition and Distribution Specialist Ilmari Arnkil, ilmari.arnkil@ses.fi, tel. 09 6220 3035