Apply for federal film funding for the distribution of cinema films

You must submit the application for distribution funding online to the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

Apply for funding online:

• Go to the website of the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de and fill out the application form electronically.
  • You will need your ELSTER organization certificate for the online application
• Upload the required documents as a file (in PDF format, maximum 10 megabytes per file) and submit the application.

Further procedural steps:

• The Distribution Funding jury reviews the applications and proposes projects for funding.
• After the funding meeting, the administrative processing of the funding takes place via the German Federal Film Board, which checks your application documents.
• If the requirements for funding are met, you will receive a grant notification from the German Federal Film Board.
• Work on the project may not begin before you receive the grant notification. In justified exceptional cases, an application for an early start can be submitted. Please use the form on the BKM website.

If approved: after the first public screening of the film, you must send a copy to the Federal Archive, unless this obligation has already been fulfilled elsewhere.

To be able to submit an application, you must

• be a commercial film distributor. In exceptional cases, self-distribution is possible.
• a place of residence or business in Germany or

have a branch in Germany with a place of residence or business in another EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

• the film is artistically ambitious and meets the funding objectives of the BKM's cultural film funding guidelines;
• the films must have a significant German cultural influence;
• the minimum length for feature films and documentaries is 79 minutes, for children's films it is 59 minutes;
• They must contribute at least 30 percent of the production costs;
• You must observe the blocking periods according to the Film Funding Act (FFG);

• Online application (incl. viewing link)
• Attachments to the application:
  • Financing plan
  • Calculation
  • Release concept
  • Lending contract
  • BAFA certificate
• Confirmation of compliance with the blocking periods

There are no costs.

The submission deadlines are published on the website of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) under the heading Deadlines.

Approximately 12 weeks after the jury meeting, the Film Funding Agency issues the grant notification. The processing time varies depending on the completeness of the documents.

• §§ 18 to 19 Guidelines for cultural film funding by the BKM

• Action before the administrative court

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No

04.01.2024