About ESFUF
The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF)
is an initiative proposed by the CNC to the other EFAD members during the Cannes General Assembly in May 2022.
After having supported various actions for Ukraine → at national and European level, EFAD and its members wanted to unite forces to launch a dedicated support for Ukrainian filmmakers, to help them completing their films or developing new projects, while fostering coproductions. ESFUF brings together 19 partners from 16 different countries, the EFAD association and some of its members as well as Culture Ministries.
the partner authorities:
- Belgium: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Cinema and Audiovisual Centre of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (CCA)
- Cyprus: Ministry of Culture
- Croatia: Croatian Audiovisual Center
- Denmark: Danish Film Institute
- Estonia: Ministry of Culture
- France: CNC and the Ministry of Culture
- Germany: Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
- Greece: Greek Film Centre
- Ireland: Screen Ireland
- Italy: Ministry of Culture
- Lithuania: Lithuanian Film Center
- Luxembourg: Film Fund Luxembourg
- Netherlands: Netherlands Film Fund
- Norway: Norwegian Film Institute
- Portugal: Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual
- United Kingdom: British Film Institute (BFI)
- EFAD (Europe): European association of national film agencies
The CNC acts as coordinator of ESFUF, managing the fund together with the Steering Committee composed of all the partner authorities.
Description and eligibility criteria
ESFUF will provide support to cinematographic works by an Ukrainian director, at the development or FINALISATION stage.
The eligible projects are long-length cinematographic works intended to be first released in theaters, belonging to the genres of fiction, documentary or animation.
Beneficiaries are production companies established in the ESFUF contributing countries having a coproduction contract with an Ukrainian production company.
- The budget of the scheme in 2023 is 1,3 M€
- The amount of the development support is capped at 25 000 € for documentaries and at 50 000 € for fiction or animation. Finalisation support is capped at 75 000 €.
The first call was open on February, 20th 2023 and closed on March, 17th 2023.
The second call was open on July, 10th 2023, and will be closed on September, 1st 2023.
Jury members
The selection of projects will be decided by the ESFUF jury, composed of 7 experts of the European film industry:
- Marianne Slot, producer, France, President of the jury
- Simone Baumann, producer, Germany
- Dariusz Jablonski, director and producer, Poland
- Timon Koulmasis, director, Greece
- Ilmar Raag, director, Estonia
- Ineke Smits, director, Netherlands
- Audrius Stonys, director, Lithuania
Results of the first call for projects
A development support was allocated to :
- Ashes settling in layers on the surface
- by Zoya Laktionova
- Ukrainian production company: 2Brave Production
- French production company: Cinephage Production
- Amount of the support: 25 000 €
- It’s not a full picture
- by Maryna Stepanska
- Ukrainian production company: JS Films
- Portuguese production company: Bando a parte
- Amount of the support: 25 000 €
- Special treat
- by Antonio Lukich
- Ukrainian production company: Fore Films
- Irish production company: Feline Films
- Amount of the support: 50 000 €
- The shadows
- by Polina Kelm
- Ukrainian production company: Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema
- Lithuanian production company: Anaben Films
- Amount of the support: 25 000 €
- To the victory!
- by Valentyn Vasyanovych
- Ukrainian production company: Arsenal Films
- Lithuanian production company: M-Films
- Amount of the support: 49 950 €
- Unholy power
- by Roman Liubyi
- Ukrainian production company: Babylon 13 Production
- German production company: Benedetta Films
- Amount of the support: 42 200 €
A completion support was allocated to:
- A picture to remember
- by Olga Chernykh
- Ukrainian production company: Real Pictures
- French production company: LuFilms
- Amount of the support: 58 500 €
- A poem for little people
- by Ivan Sautkin
- Ukrainian production company: Babylon 13 Production
- Lithuanian production company: Nuline Kopija
- Amount of the support: 66 040 €
- Glyadyelov
- by Oksana Kravtsova
- Ukrainian production companies: Real Stories Production & DIM Filmhouse
- Lithuanian production company: Broom Films
- Amount of the support: 40 000 €
- Nice ladies
- by Mariia Ponomarova
- Ukrainian production company: Tabor Production
- Dutch production company: Labyrint Film
- Amount of the support: 66 310 €
- The editorial office
- by Roman Bondarchuk
- Ukrainian production company: Moon Man
- German production company: Elemag Pictures
- Amount of the support: 75 000 €
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