Pre-Production Funding / Pre-Production Documentary

Producers with a registered office in Germany are eligible to apply.

Funding is provided for measures aimed at the concrete preparation of a film project prior to the start of production.

Funding may cover up to 80% of the estimated costs, up to a maximum of 100,000 euros.

For grant recipients from North Rhine-Westphalia, funding is provided as a grant.

Submission of the screenplay and the budget is a prerequisite for funding.

A consultation is required before submitting an application; access to the online portal will only be granted afterward.

Producers or directors whose primary residence is in North Rhine-Westphalia are eligible to apply.

The Simplified Funding Program supports culturally significant low-budget projects, including documentaries.

Up to 25,000 euros can be requested for pre-production activities.

Funding is provided as a grant; this may not exceed 80% of the calculated total costs of the measure.

Documents to be submitted include, among others, a synopsis/treatment, visual concept, production plan, cost estimate, and financing plan.

Work on the project may not begin until the application has been submitted; this does not apply to the acquisition of rights necessary for submitting the application.

Students are not eligible to apply for the Simplified Grant; the Graduation Film Grant is available to them.

Projects that have already been submitted under the regular funding program and rejected cannot be resubmitted under the Simplified Funding Program.

International co-productions are permitted under the Simplified Funding program only for the production of feature-length films.