Partners
FOCAL (Lausanne, Switzerland)
is dedicated to professional training in cinema and audiovisual media and has been monitored by the industry for over fifteen years. Its program is conceived and designed to complement and enhance a practice-oriented, life-long learning process. FOCAL operates nationally and internationally. The quality of its programme and lecturers attracts participants from around the world. Successful collaboration with European institutions and partners in the profession plays an important role in networking for film and audiovisual professionals.
Film and Audiovisual Centre of the Wallonia — Brussels Federation (Belgium)
was founded in 1995 and is the film and audiovisual support arm of the French speaking Belgium Government.
The FAC aims foremost at sustaining and promoting audiovisual works.
The FAC has tasks in the following fields:
- supporting the production and promotion of audiovisual works
- encouraging coproduction between independent producers and broadcasting channels
- supporting creation, production and school WBF workshops
- granting subsidies to diffusion of audiovisual works
- taking part in international programs like Media and Eurimages
- taking part in the federal tax shelter system
- organizing a structured dialogue with the professional sector
The Federal Office of Culture (Bern, Switzerland)
supports film production and access to film culture and helps to ensure the diversity of films in Swiss cinemas.
Film is part of a country’s identity. In multilingual and multicultural Switzerland, the film market is strongly fragmented between the French, Italian and German language areas. The nation’s film industry cannot compete on the same level with countries such as France or Germany. It must therefore also concentrate its efforts on international co-productions. The contributions by the Confederation to the production and distribution of films reinforce and ensure the quality and diversity of supply in all regions of the country. The FOC supports this offer by allocating contributions to various festivals in Switzerland, providing access to Swiss and international film culture outside cinemas.
The activities of the Film section focus on three distinct fields: film funding, the encouragement of film culture, and international cooperation.
Film funding, with a budget of CHF 27 million in 2015, contributes to both the production of Swiss films and their promotion and distribution. Through a variety of initiatives ranging from selective film production and success-based schemes to distribution and exhibition funding, the FOC makes a major contribution to a flourishing and diverse national cinema.
Encouragement of film culture, with a budget of CHF 16 million in 2015, is responsible for the promotion, mediation, innovation and funding of film heritage. Prominent examples of funding initiatives include training and the National Film Archive.
Finally, international cooperation, with an annual funding budget of CHF 5 million in 2015, runs national initiatives that help to make up for Switzerland’s non-participation in the EU’s “Creative Europe” programme. Managed by the Swiss MEDIA Desk, these currently include project development, distribution funding, funding of Swiss-European training programmes, as well as market access programmes in Swiss festivals.
Film Fund Luxembourg [Since 2015]
The Fund, an official body supervised by the minister responsible for the audiovisual sector and by the minister responsible for culture, implements the overall policy of the government’s support for audiovisual productions. Thus it manages the various programs through which the Luxembourg government provides financial incentives to audiovisual productions.
Film Fund Luxembourg represents Luxembourg in all European audiovisual initiatives, like Eurimages, the pan-european coproduction fund.
With the aim of providing a framework for a Luxembourg audiovisual industry in full expansion, the Fund is also responsible for promoting the Luxembourg sector, developing international co-production agreements and delivering certificates on the nationality of works.
Telefilm Canada [since 2016]
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund accepts private donations which principally support emerging talent.
Danish Film Institute (Copenhagen, Denmark) [Since 2019]
The DFI core tasks involve funding the production and development of films and their promotion and dissemination; preserving and providing access to the national film heritage; and providing classifications and advice on films and moving images.
Through its funding schemes, the DFI works to promote innovative cinema and talent development. Grants are also awarded for digital games. As a cornerstone of Danish film policy, at least 25% of the funding is earmarked for children and youth.
The DFI is located in Copenhagen, with film archives in Glostrup and Hillerød nearby. The building in Copenhagen houses a number of audience-oriented film activities, including the Cinematheque cinemas, a library, the FILM-X film studio, a café and the SULT restaurant.
The DFI was established in its current form in 1997 by merging three existing government institutions: the Danish Film Institute, Statens Filmcentral and the Danish Film Museum.
Norwegian Film Institute (Oslo, Norway) (2012-2019)
administers government financial support and other support mechanisms for the development, production and distribution of Norwegian audiovisual productions. The Institute is the national centre for the development of talent and ideas in the Norwegian film, television and games industry and is working actively to promote film culture and the Norwegian film heritage among a wide audience. The Norwegian Film Institute comprises departments for Development and Support, Promotion and General Public Affairs, as well as Administration and Information.
FFA – Filmförderungsanstalt, German Federal Film Board (Berlin, Germany) [2017, 2018, 2019]
The FFA is Germany’s national film funding institution and supports all the interests of German cinema from writing and production to distribution and exhibition, but also specific measures to increase the general infrastructure of the industry. It is financed via a film levy which is raised, among others, from cinemas, the video industry (physical and VoD) and broadcasters.
As the central service provider for the German film industry, the FFA regularly collates, analyses and publishes the most important market data of the film, exhibition and video industries in Germany.
In addition, the FFA is administrating the DFFF (Deutscher Filmförderfonds), the GMPF (German Motion Picture Fund) and the cultural funding on behalf of BKM (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture & the Media (BKM).
Austrian Film Institute (Vienna, Austria) [2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016]
was established 1981 in order to provide comprehensive funding for the Austrian film industry in its cultural and economic aspects as well as to further develop the traditions of Austrian film. Based on the Film Subsidies Act ("Filmförderungsgesetz"), the Film Institute is a legal entity under Public Law and its registered office is located in Vienna.
Swedish Film Institute (Stockholm, Sweden) [2012, 2013, 2014]
is a foundation that was founded in 1963 by the Swedish state and the various professional bodies of the film industry. Its remit — to support the production of new films, the distribution and screening of worthwhile films, to preserve and promote Sweden's film heritage and to represent Swedish film at an international level — is defined in the Film Agreement and in the annual document of grant appropriations from the Ministry of Culture. The Film Institute is financed by a combination of state funding and the Film Agreement, which stipulates a ten percent levy on cinema admission charges. The current organisation, effective from November 2008, is divided into five departments: Production & Development, Audience & Promotion, Film Heritage, Administration and Communications.