Project Development Funding: Documentation
Creative Development supports the development of documentary film projects—from research to concrete project planning.
Is this grant right for me?
First, please check whether you meet the funding criteria. The project development grant is intended for production companies based in North Rhine-Westphalia that wish to further develop high-budget documentary films. The grant is provided as part of the Creative Development program.
Funding Criteria for Documentary Project Development
Funding for high-budget documentary films as part of Creative Development.
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Documentary Film
Funding is provided for the project development of ambitious documentary films
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Producers from North Rhine-Westphalia
Producers with a registered office in North Rhine-Westphalia are eligible to apply.
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Concept and Project Development
Submissions must include, among other things, an exposé or one-pager, as well as a project description with a screenplay, a treatment (if applicable in exceptional cases), a visual concept, and a plan of action.
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Up to 70,000 euros in funding
Funding covers up to 80% of the calculated project development costs, up to a maximum of 70,000 euros.
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Rights and NRW Connection
Proof of rights, the NRW impact, and the possibility of the project being produced in NRW at a later date must be demonstrated.
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Missing Consultation Meeting
A consultation with the Film and Media Foundation is required before submitting an application in Stage 2.
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Not a New Project
Please indicate whether the project has already been submitted to another funding institution and what the current status is.
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No comparable parallel funding
Creative Development projects cannot be submitted simultaneously under a comparable FMS funding category.
Application Documents
- One-pager (including logline, synopsis, genre, format, and USP)
- Screenplay
- Storyboard/Producer’s Note for the Development Project
- Filmography of the applicant/production company
- Filmography/CV of the writer(s) and director(s)
- A breakdown of development costs, including a description of the NRW effect
- A financing plan for the project development
- Proof of Rights / Proof of Rights Acquisition
- Current extract from the commercial register/business registration
- Statement regarding the feasibility of producing the project in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Statement confirming that this is a new project that has not yet been submitted to any funding agency. Otherwise, please specify which
- funding institutions the project has already been submitted to, including details on the current status.
Schedule an Appointment
A consultation is required before submitting an application.
For the consultation: Please send your appointment request via email, along with a one-page summary of the project and, for first-time contact, your resume and filmography, to the responsible program officer.
Contact Person for Documentary Film
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Ivana Lalovic
Creative Development Specialist for Documentary Films
![Portraitbild von Ivana Lalovic]()
The Selection Process
Submitted projects are reviewed by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and a team of experts. Funding decisions are made three times a year.
News: News from the FMS
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24. Verleihung Gerd Ruge Stipendium der Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
October 7, 2026
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![LAUPHEIM, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 18: <<enter caption here>> attends the Carl Laemmle Produzentenpreis 2026 (Producer Award) at Schloss Laupheim on September 18, 2026 in Laupheim, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images for Carl Laemmle UG)]()
Michael Souvignier Receives the 2026 Carl Laemmle Producer Award / The 2026 Carl Laemmle VFF Talent Award Goes to Paulina Lorenz, Jorgo Narjes, and Faraz Shariat for “Staatsschutz”
September 19, 2026
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Four films funded by the German Film Foundation are currently in the running for the 2026 Oscar shortlist
September 14, 2026
