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ESFUF production support – FAQ
Which films are eligible?
The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films supports cinematographic works: they must be intended for a first release in theatres in at least one of the co-producing countries and their duration must exceed 60 minutes. They may belong to the genre of fiction, documentary or animation and their director must be Ukrainian.
Finally, the work must be co-produced between a company established in Ukraine and a company established in one of the ESFUF contributing countries, in the framework of an official co-production. To be eligible, projects must comply with the Fund’s requirements regarding co-production shares (details below).
What is an “official co-production”?
Projects applying to ESFUF must be co-produced in the framework of an official co-production, which means either:
- Under a bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the state in which the co-producer is established,
- Under the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production of the Council of Europe of 2 October 1992,
- Under the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-production of 30 January 2017,
What are the requirements regarding co-production shares?
In addition to the regulations applicable to official co-productions:
- If the project is a bilateral co-production, the respective shares of the Ukrainian co-producer and the ESFUF-based co-producer shall not be under 20 % and shall not exceed 80 %,
- If the project is a multi-lateral co-production, the respective shares of the co-producers shall be between 10 % and 70 %.
Are there minimum requirements regarding secured financing?
There is no minimum requirement of secured financing for ESFUF production support.
What are the requirements regarding the director’s nationality?
The director must be a citizen of Ukraine, or Ukraine must be their usual country of residence: a permanent residence permit would then be requested.
When can producers apply for the ESFUF production grant?
Applications must be submitted when the project is ready to go into production before the film shooting starts for fiction (or before production begins for animation).
Are there requirements regarding previous supports granted to the projects?
All projects who fit the fund’s eligibility criteria can apply to ESFUF, whether or not they have previously received development support. However, a particular attention is paid to projects which received support at the development stage, or whose director has participated in a residency. This is not limited to ESFUF support.
What award criteria are used to evaluate projects?
The jury members evaluate the projects in light of the following criteria, listed by order of importance:
- artistic quality and originality of the project,
- importance of the testimony that the work represents for Ukrainian culture and society,
- financial feasibility,
- technical and logistical feasibility,
- degree of involvement of the production company established on the territory of one of the Parties,
- distribution prospects.
If a project has several co-directors and one is not Ukrainian, is it still eligible?
A project is eligible even if all the directors are not Ukrainian. However, it may not be prioritized by the jury members in light of the criteria “importance of the testimony that the work represents for Ukrainian culture and society”.
If the development of a project is completed but the search for production financing is still ongoing, can I apply to ESFUF production support?
Yes, projects which still require additional production financing can apply to the fund: ESFUF also intends to provide leverage for other sources of financing to the projects it supports.
Can I apply with a project if its development funding is not fully confirmed but if its creative development is completed?
Technically, a project in this situation could be eligible but its financial situation and feasibility would raise questions from the jury members. The situation should be addressed in the producer’s note or in an additional note.
How much can I ask for one project?
Support is capped at 200 000 € for documentary and animation and 90 000 € for documentary. The amount of the support is set by the jury in light of the elements provided in the application.
How many projects can I submit for one call?
One production company cannot apply with more than two projects for the same call.
What expenses does the ESFUF grant cover?
The ESFUF production support grant covers the following expenses: Artistic rights, All crew members (salaries and social security contributions), Talents, Acquisition or rental of equipment, Transport, travel and living expenses, Technical means, Postproduction, Administrative expenses, Overhead costs (up to 7% of the grant).
Do shootings need to start right away when I receive the ESFUF support?
The fund does not require the supported projects to start shooting right away: if a project is supported, additional time can be taken to gather the necessary production financing.
Is there a genre preference?
A “particular attention” is paid to fiction projects. This does not mean that only fiction projects will be supported, this attention has been introduced to guarantee a fair balance between documentary and fiction.
Can my project be eligible if it already has a rough cut but no funding for post-production?
Even though eligible expenses include post-production, the grant supports the entire production process: therefore, applications should be sent before the shooting starts.
Which co-producer is the beneficiary of the ESFUF grant?
The grant agreement is signed between the CNC and the company established in one of the contributing countries: however, the grant agreement states the Ukrainian producer is considered as the grant’s co-beneficiary and its expenses are eligible.
On whose shares should the ESFUF grant go?
The ESFUF grant may be put on the shares of the Ukrainian producer or the co-producer established in a ESFUF-contributing country; it can also be split.
Is ESFUF production support compatible with other public funds?
Yes, ESFUF support is compatible with many European co-production schemes, which can be found here.