31/05/2010

Filmstiftung NRW has published new rules for applying for funding from the institution, including grants for project development, production, post-production, distribution and exhibition. In general, funding takes the form of a loan to be repaid after the film’s release. The projects must involve considerable financial investment in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Grants for screenplay development will have an upper limit of €20,000, while those for project development will not exceed €75,000 (€150,000 in the case of groups of projects). In any case, the amount granted will be less than 80% of the estimated budget.

Also included are grants for starting productions, with a maximum limit of €100,000. Moreover, they are also introducing a simplified version of the grants for screenplays (up to €10,000), project development (up to €25,000), and production (up to €100,000) of works with a strong cultural dimension. This type of subsidy is non-repayable.

The new regulations also combine the rules for so-called production grants 1 and 2, i.e. for commercial projects and low-budget or particularly difficult projects, respectively. Funding in the first category will not exceed 50% of production costs; in the second, it can rise to 70%. In both cases, there is an obligation to invest at least 150% of the amount granted in the region.

Finally, funding for project development, new talents and television projects will become separate categories.

(Translated from Spanish)