The European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) has published a new report titled “Fiction Film Financing in Europe: A Sample Analysis of Films Released in 2020”.

This study, authored by deputy head of the EAO’s Department for Market Information Martin Kanzler, “aims at providing concrete figures on how European theatrical fiction films are being financed, offering a big-picture, pan-European perspective and complementing work done at national levels”.

In detail, the analysis is based on a data sample including financing plans for 482 European live-action fiction films theatrically released or scheduled for release in 2020 from 27 European countries. The data sample includes both 100% national as well as European-majority-led co-productions. Overall, it covers a cumulative financing volume of €1.45 billion, and it is estimated to cover 64% of the total number of European fiction films released in 2020.

The document points out that even though the number of sample films dropped significantly in 2020 owing to the closure of cinemas (from 651 movies released in 2019 to 482 released in 2020), “no significant changes in the financing structure of films could be observed”. The report argues, “This is most likely due to the fact that films released in 2020 had been financed before the pandemic hit, [with] potential impacts on financing presumably only becoming visible in data sets on films released in 2021-2023.”

The study contains three main key findings. First, the median average budget of a European theatrical fiction film released or scheduled to be released in 2020 was €2.06 million, whilst its mean budget was €3.02 million. Quite predictably, these numbers differ widely among countries, with average budgets being higher in larger markets – projects originating in France, Germany, Italy, Poland or the UK, for example, had an average budget of €2.7 million, whilst for medium-sized markets this figure was €1.8 million and for smaller ones €1.1 million.

The second key takeaway shows that the largest financing source was direct public funding (which contributed 26% of the total financing volume, or €373.4 million), followed by broadcaster investments (20%, or €292.8 million), producer investments (18%, or €262.4 million), production incentives (17%, or €249.4 million) and pre-sales (14%, or €199 million, excluding broadcasting rights). Minor financing sources included private equity, debt financing and in-kind investments.

Thirdly, the percentage share of direct public funding in financing decreases with increasing market size and budget volume, accounting for only 20% of total financing in the five largest sample markets, 44% in the medium-sized ones and 58% in the smaller ones. In contrast, the importance of pre-sales (other than those to broadcasters) decreases with market size, playing a bigger role in large markets. In 2020, pre-sales accounted for 15% (18% excluding French films) in large markets, in contrast with medium-sized (10%) and smaller ones (9%).

The full report can be accessed here.