what are the objectives
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 promotion and marketing approaches by associated European world sales companies (important information, point 1/2) at key non-European film festivals and film markets. FSS invests and contributes towards regular and innovative marketing strategies as well as towards 'ready-to-use digital promotion campaigns' for non-European distributors' (separate guidelines).
which films are eligible
Eligible for FSS contributions are sales campaigns for recent completed and unfinished European fiction films, animated films or documentaries with a minimum duration of 60 minutes participating in one of the main sections of the selected festivals or presented at the chosen markets. Unfinished films may be included in the market support strand. 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. 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 2019/2020. 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 (important information point 3/5).
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 |
which companies are eligible
Eligible for FSS are European companies, recorded in their national trade registers as active world sales companies who have an ECAS account and a Participant Identification Code (PIC) on the European Commission's Participant Portal and a signed Mandate with EFP making them co-beneficiaries of EFP.
how to apply
Applications for the promotion at festivals and markets must be made using EFP's online application system (http://efp.ath.cx/).
NEW: Sales companies may now submit an application for a package of up to five European films for the promotion at each one of the selected markets. The package may also include unfinished films.
Only one application per festival or market per world sales company is possible. Sales companies may not re-submit an application for the promotion of the same finished film at a different festival or market or re-submit the same package of films at a different market. Exception: Unfinished films can be re-submitted for a festival when they are finished.
If sales companies also apply for FSS for 'ready-to-use digital promotion campaigns for a film (finished or unfinished), the application for FSS 'Classic' must include different promotion strategies and costs.
Applications must include a brief description of the marketing campaign and a detailed budget with additional information where necessary.
Application deadlines are usually four to five weeks before the start of the respective festival or market.
how much is available
FSS contributions per campaign per company for:
Festivals
Toronto International Film Festival (2019) up to €4,000
Sundance Film Festival (2020) up to €4,000
Tokyo International Film Festival (2019) up to €3,000
South by Southwest (2020) up to €3,000
HotDocs,Canadian International Documentary Festival (2020) up to €3,000
Shanghai International Film Festival (2020) up to €3,000
Markets
Asian Film Market, Busan (2019) up to €4,000 for packages up to five films
American Film Market (AFM) (2019) up to €4,000 for packages up to five films
Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) (2020) up to €4,000 for packages up to five films
If the beneficiary spends less than calculated, the contribution is adjusted accordingly. FSS contributions may not exceed 50 per cent of the total costs incurred by the world sales company on each campaign.
The FSS contribution 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 one month after the end of the respective festival or market. EFP requires copies of all paid invoices of the costs incurred by third parties from the sales company. The actual contribution paid to the sales company will be published on EFP's website.
By receiving an FSS contribution, the respective world sales company agrees that any submitted film stills, trailer links or potential further material to be agreed upon may be used on EFP's website, for EFP press releases, social media campaigns and further promotional activities undertaken by EFP. The company further agrees to use EFP's logo and the logo of Creative Europe MEDIA as credentials.
which costs are eligible
The budget as part of the application must include costs for a substantial amount of promotional activities at the respective festival or market and involve innovative measures with an added value.
The following costs for promotion and marketing at festivals and markets are eligible for completed or unfinished films:
• production of promotional and advertising material, (sales posters, final posters, brochures, flyers, sales sheet, press kits, screeners, merchandising)
• creation of promo reel/teaser/excerpts/promotional videos, for example interviews with talent from the film (for unfinished films)
• Creation of specific clips (to show to buyers before the film is finished)
• creation of specific page for the film on App
• publication costs (costs for advertisements in the trades)
• public relations activities (any promotional activity for the respective film, hiring of a publicist, online PR by third parties (not employed by applicant), etc.)
• subtitling into non-English languages
• travel and accommodation for a sales representative*
• market screenings
• newsletters to buyers
• new digital promotion activities
• innovative ideas
• other measures (to be specified), also for unfinished films
As part of the promotion campaign for the FILMART, the Asian Film Market and the AFM, it is obligatory to either develop a digital promotion strategy, to take out an ad/trailer in the trades or on a professional online platform (such as Cinando, etc.), to book a market screening or produce something out of the ordinary with an added value.
FSS cannot be combined with a grant awarded within the MEDIA action: Support to the world sales companies of European cinematographic film - the "Sales Agents" Scheme.
NB: *Flight costs are capped at €1,200 for an economy ticket. FSS covers a maximum of four nights at the FILMART and the Asian Film Market, seven nights at the American Film Market, at Hot Docs, the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Shanghai International Film Festival and South by Southwest. Travel and accommodation costs for the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival are not eligible.
Maximum accommodation costs must not exceed the daily per diem as stipulated by the EU. FSS covers two additional nights for the travelling sales agent in another city on the continent where the respective festival (except for Toronto and Sundance) or market takes place to encourage more visits to buyers in their offices.
Charts related to the per diem covering maximum accommodation costs per country can be found on the following website:
https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/perdiems-2017-03-17_en.pdf
films from switzerland
Thanks to new international measures by the Federal Office of Culture, Media Desk Suisse and SWISS FILMS, FSS is also available for the promotion of films from Switzerland outside of Europe. FSS for films from Switzerland does not limit the number of eligible FSS applications per festival or market which are backed by Creative Europe–MEDIA.
important information
1. Definition world sales company
The world sales company is an important partner for filmmakers, producers and distributors, acting as an international distributor, in a lot of different ways:
• Licensing the films for all releases (theatrical, VoD – transactional and subscription, TV)
• Supervising the deals and controlling release costs on each territory
• International marketing and promotion of films to foreign distributors (editorial line, teasers, posters, press releases)
• Direct financial participation in the films (often from writing stage and early with pre-sales, co-productions)
• Special relationship with and attendance at all important film festivals and markets throughout the world
• International vision of the markets with technical evaluation and "know-how"
• Follow-up with the international career of the film
• Promotion and discovery of new talents
2. Qualification world sales company
The applying world sales company has to be based in one of the EU countries, the EEA or countries associated with Creative Europe – MEDIA. The European company has to be owned, whether directly or by majority participation, by nationals of member states of the European Union and of the European Economic Agreement (or nationals of the other European countries participating in Creative Europe – MEDIA and registered in one of these countries.
3. Countries belonging to the EU, the EEA and to Creative Europe – MEDIA
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the Ukraine and the UK.***
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.
Exception: As EFP currently does not have member organisations from Malta, Moldova Romania and the Ukraine, films which have been majority produced by these countries are not eligible for FSS.
4. Countries not participating in Creative Europe – MEDIA
Countries outside the EU, the EEA and those not associated with Creative Europe – MEDIA.
5. Countries with a low audiovisual production capacity
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, The Netherlands and the Ukraine.
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