New children’s film project is looking for short films for 10–12-year-old preteens

Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, The Church Media Foundation and Yle have started a new co-operation which will provide funding for three new fictional short films for 2024. The target group for the films is 10–12-year-old children. Professional Finnish production companies can participate in the call for proposals.

The kick-off for the project will be on February 7, 2023, 14:00–16:15 in VR Iso Paja (in Finnish, sign up to the event: Ilmoittautumiskaavake).

The project is looking for brave and new, ambitious and curious live-action short films based on an original script. Genre and the topic of the film are free. The duration of the films is limited to 5–10 minutes.

Each of the selected three films will receive 90,000 euros in funding. The final works will be shown on Yle from 2024 onwards.

Application process

There are three stages to the application process.

The first stage

The production company will send an application through an electronic form by May 31, 2023, 16:00. The form will open on the Finnish Film Foundation’s application system on February 8, 2023.

Appendices:

• a short synopsis (max. 1 page)
• a script
• the director’s, scriptwriter’s and producer’s word
• the director’s, scriptwriter’s and producer’s CV
• production schedule
• additional material (videos, moodboard etc.)

We hold the right to ask for further appendices from the applicant.

The second stage

Based on the applications, some of the applicants will be called for an interview. At this point, the applicant must provide a more precise production plan and budget.

The third stage

Three (3) of the projects will be given 90,000 euros of production funding. The production company may apply for other funding.

The project schedule

• Deadline for applications May 31, 2023, 16:00
• Invitations to the interviews in the second stage of the project (and information to the disqualified): by the end of June 
• Interviews: in August 2023
• Funding decisions: on week 34
• Completion of films: 2024 

We will notify the applicants about the decisions personally and through the Finnish Film Foundation’s and AVEK’s communications. We will not give feedback on the applications.

Further information:

Iris Olsson
Film Commissioner
Finnish Film Foundation
iris.olsson@ses.fi

Mikko Peltonen
Film Commissioner
AVEK
mikko.peltonen@avek.kopiosto.fi

Elina Pohjola
Buyer
Yle
elina.pohjola@yle.fi