World Cinema Fund

"The WCF has found its niche among international funds that support projects from these regions. Whereas others concentrate mainly on projects in development or in post-production, the WCF helps directly on the production stage as well as later on theatrical distribution in Germany."
Tariq Teguia, Director
Alger, Algeria

"Support for a project from the World Cinema Fund has, in the meantime, become a distinction that often motivates other investors and institutions to participate in the production."
Karl Baumgartner, Producer, Pandora Film, Cologne, Germany

"Many projects are made possible in the first place because the filmmakers are allowed to spend the money 'at home' – without having to set up a disproportionate and costly co-production which incurs increased post-production costs in yet other countries."
Michael Weber, Sales Agent. The Match Factory, Munich/Cologne, Germany

"Finally, there is a fund like the World Cinema Fund, which supports eclectic and creative filmmaking in Asian, Latin American and African countries in both production and distribution. This is proof that, in terms of international film culture, the German film funding landscape and German cinemas have finally arrived in the 21st century."
Wilfried Arnold, Ditribuitor, Kairos-Filmverleih, Göttingen, Germany

The Berlin International Film Festival launched the World Cinema Fund in 2004, initiated by the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftunq des Bundes) and in co-operation with the Goethe Institute, to support filmmakers in developing countries and regions which lack a constructive film industry in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Central Asia. As of 2007, the WCf also includes countries in Southeast Asia and the Caucasus in its funding programme.

The World Cinema has an annual budget of about 500.000 € at its disposal.

The aim of the World Cinema Fund is to help the realisation of films which otherwise could not be produced, i.e. feature films and creative feature length documentaries with a strong cultural identity. Another important goal is to strengthen the profile of these films in German cinemas. The World Cinema Fund will provide support in the fields of production and distribution.

Production companies from the above mentioned regions as well as German production companies working with a director from these regions can apply for production funds.

In order to receive such funds, a German partner is required. However, the film does not necessarily have to be a co-production, and the funding amount is to be spent in the WCF focus regions.

German distributors can apply for distribution support.

Production funds
Up to 100.000 € per project. The budgets of the projects
should range between 200.000-1000.000 €. The funds
should be spent in the countries in which the film is to he produced.

Distribution funds
Up to 15.000 € per project. The funds have to he spent on distributing the film in Germany,

There are two submission deadlines each year.
The current deadlines, more detailed guidelines and submission forms can be downloaded from www.berlinale.de