Feature Film Production Funding

German producers are eligible to apply. For international projects, a German co-producer is required.

At least 1.5 times the grant amount must be spent in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The grant amount may not exceed 50% of the costs. Different rules apply to low-budget films.

The project must be financed with the applicant’s own funds. The applicant’s own funds must not be less than 5% of the production costs.

Funding is provided in the form of a conditionally repayable, interest-free loan.

Different funding conditions apply to low-budget films within the regular production funding program. For films with correspondingly low budgets or those that are difficult to market, a higher funding rate than the standard 50% may be granted.

Compliance with the environmental standards for production funding of films and series is mandatory.

A consultation is required before submitting an application. This must take place at least one week before the submission deadline. Access to the application form on the online portal will be activated only after the consultation has taken place.

For international projects, a German co-producer is required.

Proof of the project’s total funding must be provided.

Low-budget projects are eligible for funding. The projected total expenses of the project may not exceed 1.5 million euros.

Producers and directors headquartered in North Rhine-Westphalia are eligible to apply. In exceptional cases with special justification, production funding applications from outside North Rhine-Westphalia may also be funded.

Funding is provided as a grant and may cover up to 80% of the calculated total costs of the project.

At least 5% of the estimated costs must be covered by the applicant’s own funds.

The Simplified Grant Program specifically supports culturally ambitious low-budget projects. The projects do not need to be commercially viable from the outset.

International co-productions may be submitted in the feature film production category. For international projects, a co-producer from North Rhine-Westphalia is required.

Compliance with the environmental standards for film production funding is mandatory. Exceptions include, among others, productions with a production value of less than 50,000 euros.

Funding decisions are made by an independent, three-member funding committee. The members are appointed by Filmbüro NW e. V., and the jury is reconstituted for each meeting with experts from various sectors of the industry.

Projects with estimated total costs exceeding 1.5 million euros are not eligible for simplified funding.

A consultation is required before submitting an application. Access to the application form on the online portal can only be activated after the consultation has taken place.

Students are not eligible to apply. A separate funding opportunity is available for graduation film projects.

Projects that have already been submitted for a comparable type of funding under the regular funding program and were not awarded funding cannot subsequently be submitted under the Simplified Funding program.

A project may be submitted for funding a maximum of two times.