The European Film Agency Directors Association (EFAD), alongside film agencies and culture ministries representing 13 European countries have launched the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Film (ESFUF) at the 73rd Berlinale.
The emergency funding programme has an overall budget of €1.05 million to support Ukrainian filmmakers and to foster the co-production of feature-length fiction, documentary and animation films.
The fund is implemented through collaboration and financial contributions from the following European ministries and national film agencies:
- Belgium: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Cinema and Audiovisual Centre of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (CCA)
- Cyprus: Ministry of Culture
- Croatia: Croatian Audiovisual Center
- Estonia: Ministry of Culture
- France: CNC and the Ministry of Culture
- Germany: Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
- Greece: Greek Film Center
- Ireland: Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
- Italy: Ministry of Culture
- Lithuania: Lithuanian Film Center
- Luxembourg: Film Fund Luxembourg
- Netherlands: Netherlands Film Fund
- Portugal: Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual
- EFAD (Europe): European Association of National Film Agencies
We are very proud to see that ESFUF comes to light, materializing the solidarity of our members with Ukraine and our capacity to unite. We are very grateful to the CNC for having initiated and accepted to coordinate this project that our association will support and promote.
Luis Chaby Vaz, President – EFAD
The fund will accept projects through two calls for applications in 2023 and is open to production companies established in one of the 13 partner countries (listed above), co-producing with a Ukrainian partner. Development support will be capped at €25,000 for documentaries and at €50,000 for fiction or animation films. Completion support will be capped at €75,000 per project.
This support scheme is administered by a committee composed of one representative of each contributor and managed by the CNC. Projects will be selected by a jury of five independent experts from the European film industry.
The first call for applications is now open, with a deadline of Friday, 17th March 2023. The results of this first selection round will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival in May.
For more details visit the ESFUF Website: esfuf.eu