what are the objectives and values?
European Film Promotion (EFP) is supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA of the European Union to facilitate sales and distribution of European films to countries outside of Europe. Promotion and marketing are essential pillars to reach audiences overseas. In close exchange with the industry, EFP created Film Sales Support (FSS), an incentive to enhance (digital) promotion and marketing approaches undertaken by European world sales companies. FSS invests in regular and innovative marketing strategies.
Gender balance, diversity & inclusion and sustainability are important for EFP. Therefore, we appreciate and encourage promotion campaigns that respect the environment as well as the diversity of filmmakers and films (see Memorandum of Understanding for EFP on Diversity & Inclusion).
Film Sales Support has two strands:
FSS Classic for the attendance at selected physical film festivals and markets outside of Europe (campaigns for physical promotion material with a strong emphasis on additional digital strategies)
FSS Digital for online participation at the online versions/extensions of selected film festivals and markets outside/inside of Europe (campaigns for purely digital strategies)
which films are eligible ?
Eligible to benefit from FSS are recent completed and unfinished European fiction films, animated films or documentaries with a minimum duration of 60 minutes participating in sections of the selected film festivals or presented at the chosen markets. Applications for markets may include packages of up to five European films including unfinished films per submission. Unfinished films means, that films are in post-production.
Films must not have been sold to the territory in which the respective festival or market takes place (except for the EFM and the Marché du Film as these markets are attended by buyers from the whole of the world).
Films are destined for exploitation in cinemas, on TV or VoD (the latter becoming important in pandemic times).
Films may be part of any section of the festivals and do not have to have a market premiere at the respective market. Recent films, refers to the original copyright of a film being established in 2021/2022. Excluded are films consisting of advertising or containing pornographic or racist material as well as those advocating violence.
Films have to be majority produced by a producer or producers established in the countries participating in Creative Europe – MEDIA and have to have been made with a significant participation by professionals who are citizens/residents of the countries participating in Creative Europe – MEDIA.
Significant participation is defined as 10 or more points under the following scheme. In case of documentaries or animated films that do not have all of the components (for example actors etc.) and where the total is therefore less than 19, films need to achieve more than half of the points of the maximum total.
| Points | |
| Director | 3 |
| Scriptwriter | 3 |
| Composer | 1 |
| Actor 1 | 2 |
| Actor 2 | 2 |
| Actor 3 | 2 |
| Production Design / Art Direction | 1 |
| Director of Photography | 1 |
| Editor | 1 |
| Sound | 1 |
| Shooting Location | 1 |
| Laboratory | 1 |
| Total | 19 |
who is eligible?
World sales companies based in the European Union and in countries participating in Creative Europe - MEDIA which are registered with and validated by the Participant Register of the European Commission and by the respective national film promotion institute.
They must be:
- registered sales companies
- rights holders of world-wide rights for respective films acting on behalf of the producer
- representatives and promoters of respective films at international film festivals and markets
- experts on the film-making process (understand all aspects involved in making a film, from script to finance to post-production)
- networkers (establish relationships with festival programmers and potential buyers)
- negotiators (negotiate conditions, knowledge of drawing up contracts and of licensing and copyright)
- marketing experts (understand and predict the market both globally and within individual countries, assemble and organise the delivery of any physical film material, involvement in developing the marketing plan, have an understanding of digital marketing and social media)
which contractual obligations need to be fulfilled?
In the case of financial support, world sales companies have to meet these obligations.
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which countries are eligible?
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and Ukraine.
Films which are majority produced by countries which are candidates to join the European Union are only eligible for FSS subject to the coming into force of their country's participation in Creative Europe – MEDIA and subject to EFP admitting a member organisation from the respective country. The same applies to the country of origin of the world sales company.
promotion at which events?
- Toronto International Film Festival (Canada)
- Canadian International Documentary Festival, Hot Docs (Canada)
- Sundance Film Festival (USA)
- Tribeca Film Festival (USA)
- South by Southwest Film Festival (USA)
- Beijing International Film Festival (China)
- Shanghai International Film Festival (China)
- Tokyo International Film Festival (Japan)
- Asian Contents & Film Market (South Korea)
- Hong Kong Film & TV Market (China)
- American Film Market, AFM (USA)
- Ventana Sur (Argentina)
- European Film Market, EFM (Germany)*
- Marché du Film – Cannes Film Festival (France)*
All festivals and markets outside of Europe and the two markets inside of Europe have been identified as relevant events frequented by international buyers following exchange with the industry and EFP's long-time professional experience. The selected festivals and markets in overseas are based in countries with a strong potential for European cinema. They will most likely take place in a hybrid format (physical and online).
*FSS for the EFM and the Marché du Cannes is only available for the online versions. These two markets with their prestigious labels have an international reach and serve to give the sales agents more opportunities to target buyers outside of Europe.
which promotional costs are eligible?
The budget of the application must include costs for a substantial amount of digital promotional activities at the respective festival or market and involve innovative measures with an added value.
- production of physical and digital promotion and advertising material
- publication and public relations activities
- subtitling into non-English languages
- market screenings
- screenings for international press prior to festival
- digital promotion activities
- experimenting with new digital approaches
- other measures (to be specified by applicant), also for unfinished films
how much is available per campaign?
Festivals
up to €8,000
- Toronto International Film Festival (2021)
- Sundance Film Festival (2022)
up to €5,000
- Tokyo International Film Festival (2021)
- South by Southwest (2022)
- Beijing International Film Festival (2022)
- Tribeca Film Festival (2022)
- HotDocs,Canadian International Documentary Festival (2022)
- Shanghai International Film Festival (2022)
Markets (packages of up to five films possible)
up to €5,000
- Asian Contents & Film Market (2021)
- American Film Market (AFM (2021)
- Ventana Sur (2021)
- Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, FILMART (2022)
- EFM (2022) only online version
- Marché du Film (2022) only online version
Maximum total FSS for a number of applications per company per contract year (July 2021-June 2022): €30,000
If the beneficiary spends more than calculated, the confirmed and reserved FSS incentive will not increase; if the beneficiary spends less than calculated, the incentive is adjusted accordingly. FSS may not exceed 50 per cent of the total costs incurred by the world sales company on each campaign.
FSS is transferred after the respective festival or market and after proof has been given that all eligible costs have been duly paid. Proof of expenses and payment of invoices (by signature) have to be presented to EFP within two months after the end of the respective festival or market. EFP requires copies of all paid invoices of the costs incurred by the sales company. The actual FSS incentives paid to the sales companies will be published on EFP's website.
remittance of FSS and eligibility of costs
FSS is transferred after the respective festival or market and after proof has been given that all eligible costs have been duly paid.
Proof of expenses and payment of invoices (by signature) have to be presented to EFP within two months after the end of the respective festival or market. EFP requires copies of all paid invoices of the costs incurred by the sales company. The actual FSS incentives paid to the sales companies will be published on EFP's website.
Costs documented via invoices are eligible in the period 2 months prior to and 2 months after the date of the FSS confirmation letter to the sales company.
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