Grant announcement: Production support

Application period

The application period ends 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.

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?

The production support is aimed at the production of of a fictional, documentary or animated short or feature film, documentary or animated series, or a combination thereof, 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 may be viewed from the 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 by submitting the application and appendices to the Finnish Film Foundation before the deadline noted in the grant announcement. Applications submitted after the deadline are transferred to the next application period.

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

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.

Instructions for the application system

Prior to submitting an application, the applicant must read the relevant call for applications 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
• an itemised budget
  The budget must contain the film’s immediate production costs until the completion of the first screening copy, including
  – 7–10% reservation for incidental costs
  The general expenses of the production company (e.g. rent, 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 account may not exceed the company’s actual administrative costs reported in the accounts).
  – marketing costs during production
  – English translation and subtitling costs of short and documentary films
  – film production insurance cost 

  A percentage for incidental costs and administration is calculated and included 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 a 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.

• financial plan
  The financial plan and binding contracts or other agreements concerning funding
  The financial plan has to include the state of the funding by funding group as it is at the moment of sending the application.

  A prerequisite for the support is that the core funding for the film has been secured. The applicant must show with binding confirmations or agreements that the plan related to the production support is feasible. The Film Foundation evaluates the feasibility of the applicant’s budget.

  If support is sought for an international co-production, the funding for the production must be verified to the extent mentioned above.

• a marketing and distribution plan drafted according to the Film Foundation’s template

If the support is applied for the Finnish minority share of an international co-production, the following appendices are required:

• a deal memo for all joint producers or a joint production agreement with appendices
• a detailed and itemised budget of the Finnish co-producer’s share
• a budget of the entire production itemised by country
• As an exception to what is stated in this grant announcement, the applicant may present incidental and administrative costs as a percentage according to the main producer’s practices.
• a financing plan for the Finnish co-producer
• a budget of the entire production itemised by country
• a financing plan for the Finnish co-producer

Forms

Obligatory appendices of the applicant:

• 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)

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.

Applicants should start preparing the application well before the deadline.

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

Forms

How are the applications evaluated?

Support may be granted to 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 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. Previously granted support by the Film Foundation to the applicant is also taken into account.

The evaluation of the applications is based on an overall review where the film project’s expressiveness and production are evaluated as a whole and takes into consideration the applicant’s artistic and professional qualifications that contribute to the possibility of completing the project.

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 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 and the required information is not uploaded into the online

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 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).