Films

We award grants for private individuals or working groups as personal grants for writing the script for a documentary film, short film, short animation film or documentary series. The applicant must be an audiovisual industry professional and have a Finnish social security number. Generally, scriptwriting support can only be received once per production.

Support will not be granted for

• completed works
• promotional and presentative programmes for companies, institutions or organisations, custom order productions
• productions fully financed by television companies (productions ordered by TV companies)
• feature-length fiction films
• fiction series
• feature-length animated films
• educational establishment’s own productions
• educational films and learning materials
• self-financed films
• hobby-based productions
• equipment purchases

Application procedure

• Support is applied for through the online application system.
• No application periods.
• Two separate forms of support for the same production cannot be applied for simultaneously.
• Applications submitted by e-mail will not be processed.
• Applications are processed in the order they are submitted. Average processing time is approximately 6-8 weeks.

Application annexes

• synopsis / treatment
• working plan and schedule
• account of the applicant’s previous activity
• scriptwriter’s word

Agreement procedure

• A written support agreement for the support granted will be made with the recipient.
• Decision is binding when all contractual parties have signed a support agreement.
• If the agreement is not made within three months of the support decision, the decision expires.

Final report annexes

• the final report and the annexes is submitted to the AVEK online application system
• brief written report of the realisation of the work
• completed script
• no need for financial report

The agreement may be cancelled and the support recovered

• If support is not used within the agreed time for the approved purpose.
• If recipient has provided AVEK with misleading information that has affected the granting of the support, or continuation of payments.
• If final report is not submitted within agreed time limit and in agreed form, and recipient has not agreed on a new procedure with AVEK.

Notice of termination will be made in writing.

We grant support for audiovisual production companies (registered Finnish societies) for the development costs of a documentary film, short film, short animation film or documentary series production. Support can be applied for e.g. script development, preliminary research and filming, and to secure financing.

The applicant must be obliged to keep records. Development support can be granted twice for the same production. Previous supports granted by AVEK must be settled as agreed upon applying.

Support can be applied for e.g. script development, preliminary research, preliminary shooting, and acquiring financing for the production. AVEK’s support won’t cover all development costs.

Valid Finnish Film Foundation budgeting and reporting forms can be used for the application.

Support will not be granted for

• completed works
• promotional and presentative programmes for companies, institutions or organisations, custom order productions
• productions fully financed by television companies (productions ordered by TV companies)
• feature-length fiction films
• fiction series
• feature-length animated films
• educational establishment’s own productions
• educational films and learning materials
• self-financed films
• hobby-based productions
• equipment purchases

Application procedure

• Support is applied for through the online application system.
• No application periods.
• Two separate forms of support for the same production cannot be applied for simultaneously.
• Approved final report for earlier support received for the same work is a prerequisite for new support.
• Positive decision for one production stage does not obligate AVEK to later grant further support to the production.
• Applications submitted by e-mail will not be processed.
• Applications are processed in the order they are submitted. Average processing time is approximately 6-8 weeks.

Application annexes

• synopsis
• script or content plan
• maker’s/director’s and producer’s words
• work/production plan and schedule
• itemised cost estimate and financing plan for production phase (development, production, or post production budget)
• preliminary total production budget (item summary) and financing plan
• written account of self-financing share
• screening/distribution plan
• key personnel introduction
• account of applicant’s previous activity
• Trade Register extract (no more than six months old)
• link to editor’s cut / sample materials (compulsory annex for post production applications)

Self-financing

A written account of self-financing must be submitted as an application annex. Approved forms of self-financing are

• work of production company’s owners in the production
• use of own equipment
• salary transfers from key members of the working group, agreements in writing
• bank guarantee or other corresponding guarantee from a financial institution
• own spare capital

Agreement procedure

• A written support agreement for the support granted will be made with the recipient.
• Decision is binding when all contractual parties have signed a support agreement.
• Written confirmation of other funding must be submitted to be annexed to the support agreement.
• If the agreement is not made within three months of the support decision, the decision expires.

Final report annexes

The final report and the annexes are submitted to the AVEK online application system.

• written report of the completion of the work stage signed by producer
• script / content plan (if support has been granted for developing the script)
• link to shot material / demo / trailer (if support has been granted for this purpose)
• final report signed by producer, with key item summary and comparison of actualised and budgeted costs and financing
• breakdown of costs with comparison of actualised and budgeted costs
• confirmation of actualised costs and financing based on the company accounting, signed by the company accountant/accounting company
• audit report if the total support granted is 20.000 € or more

Copyrights

Support recipient is responsible for the appropriate copyright obligations for the work receiving support, e.g. licensing and reporting of rights.

Information about copyright is available from the industry practitioners, e.g. Kopiosto ry, Teosto ry, Kuvasto ry, Gramex ry, and Sanasto ry.

The agreement may be cancelled and the support recovered

• If support is not used within the agreed time for the approved purpose.
• If recipient has provided AVEK with misleading information that has affected the granting of the support, or continuation of payments.
• If final report is not submitted within agreed time limit and in agreed form, and recipient has not agreed on a new procedure with AVEK.

Notice of termination will be made in writing.

We grant support for audiovisual production companies (registered Finnish societies) to cover the actual production costs of a documentary film, short film, short animation film or documentary series. The applicant must be obliged to keep records. International minority co-production support for the Finnish co-producer can be granted as production or post production support.

Valid Finnish Film Foundation budgeting and reporting forms can be used for the application.

Support criteria

• The production is professional.
• Production has other confirmed financing.
• AVEK support does not cover all production costs of the work.
• Production/work must have a confirmed domestic, national, and professional distribution.
• Previous AVEK supports have been reported accordingly.

Application procedure

• Support is applied for through the online application system.
• No application periods.
• Two separate forms of support for the same production cannot be applied for simultaneously.
• Approved final report for earlier support received for the same work is a prerequisite for new support.
• Positive decision for one production stage does not obligate AVEK to later grant further support to the production.
• Applications submitted by e-mail will not be processed.
• Applications are processed in the order they are submitted. Average processing time is approximately 6-8 weeks.

Application attachments

• synopsis
• script or content plan
• maker’s/director’s and producer’s words
• work/production plan and schedule
• itemised total production budget and financing plan for production phase.
• written account of self-financing share.
• screening/distribution plan. For production and post production applications, written confirmations of public screenings.
• key personnel introduction
• account of applicant’s previous activity
• Trade Register extract (no more than six months old)
• link to editor’s cut / sample materials

Distribution

Precondition for production support and post production support is a confirmed domestic, national, and professional public distribution in Finland for the work in question. Accepted forms of distribution are

• distribution on a TV channel or the  TV online platform
• theatrical distribution
• professional streaming service in its various forms
• some other professional form of public performance or distribution

Festival screenings, private screenings, YouTube distribution, or similar will not be accepted as the form of distribution.

Self-financing

A written account of self-financing must be submitted as an application annex. Approved forms of self-financing:

• work of production company’s owners in the production
• use of own equipment
• salary transfers from key members of the working group, agreements in writing
• bank guarantee or other corresponding guarantee from a financial institution

Agreement procedure

• A written support agreement for the support granted will be made with the recipient.
• Decision is binding when all contractual parties have signed a support agreement.
• Written confirmation of other funding must be submitted to be annexed to the support agreement.
• If the agreement is not made within three months of the support decision, the decision expires.

Final report annexes

The final report and the annexes are submitted to the AVEK online application system.

• written report on the completion of the production, signed by producer
• final report signed by producer and he company accountant/accounting company, with key item summary and comparison of actualised and budgeted costs and financing
• breakdown of costs with comparison of actualised and budgeted costs (additional information can be annexed to written report)
• audit report if the total support granted is 20.000 € or more
• link to completed work, or the work in other form agreed
• information on essential personnel
• short presentation of the work (max. 500 characters)
• at least two digital production-related photographs

Copyrights

Support recipient is responsible for the appropriate copyright obligations for the work receiving support, e.g. licensing and reporting of rights.

Information about copyright is available from the industry practitioners, e.g. Kopiosto ry, Teosto ry, Kuvasto ry, Gramex ry, and Sanasto ry.

The agreement may be cancelled and the support recovered

• If support is not used within the agreed time for the approved purpose.
• If recipient has provided AVEK with misleading information that has affected the granting of the support, or continuation of payments.
• If final report is not submitted within agreed time limit and in agreed form, and recipient has not agreed on a new procedure with AVEK.

Notice of termination will be made in writing.

If recipient is unable to complete the work in jointly agreed manner AVEK has the right, in cooperation with other financers and co-producers, to complete the work as it sees fit while respecting moral copyrights.

International co-productions

Support may be granted for an international co-production with a Finnish production company as a minority co-producer.

• Support may be granted to the Finnish production company for the production’s Finnish production costs.
• The Finnish producer must have the Finnish screening and distribution rights for the work.
• Production must have a confirmed domestic, national, and professional distribution.
• Support may be granted as production support or post production support.
• A co-production agreement must be attached to the support agreement

For compelling reasons, a production company (registered Finnish society) may be granted post-production support for the completion of a specific work. The support is meant for completing a documentary film, short film, short animation film or documentary series. Priority is given to the productions that have previously gotten AVEK’s support. The applicant must be obliged to keep records.

Post production support can also be granted as an incentive for following sustainable development principles in the production. The support is applied after the completion of the production based on actualised costs. See more at “Eco support” below.

Valid Finnish Film Foundation budgeting and reporting forms can be used for the application.

Support criteria

• The production has other confirmed financing.
• AVEK support does not cover all post production costs of the work.
• The production must have a confirmed domestic, national, and professional distribution.
• A particular production may be granted production and post production support.

Application procedure

• Support is applied for through the online application system.
• No application periods.
• Two separate forms of support for the same production cannot be applied for simultaneously.
• Approved final report for earlier support received for the same work is a prerequisite for new support.
• Positive decision for one production stage does not obligate AVEK to later grant further support to the production.
• Applications submitted by e-mail will not be processed.
• Applications are processed in the order they are submitted. Average processing time is approximately 6-8 weeks.

Application annexes

• synopsis
• script or content plan
• maker’s/director’s and producer’s words
• work/production plan and schedule
• itemised total production budget and financing plan for production phase.
• written account of self-financing share.
• screening/distribution plan. For production and post production applications, written confirmations from the distributor
• key personnel introduction
• account of applicant’s previous activity
• Trade Register extract (no more than six months old)
• link to editor’s cut / sample materials
• NOTE: when applying Eco support, discuss the required annexes with the commisioner who has granted the previous support for the production

Agreement procedure

• A written support agreement for the support granted will be made with the recipient.
• Decision is binding when all contractual parties have signed a support agreement.
• Written confirmation of other funding must be submitted to be annexed to the support agreement.
• If the agreement is not made within three months of the support decision, the decision expires.

Final report and annexes

The final report and the annexes are submitted to the AVEK online application system.

• written report on the completion of the production, signed by producer
• final report signed by producer and he company accountant/accounting company, with key item summary and comparison of actualised and budgeted costs and financing
• breakdown of costs with comparison of actualised and budgeted costs (additional information can be annexed to written report)
• audit report if the total support granted is 20.000 € or more
• link to completed work, or the work in other form agreed
• information on essential personnel
• short presentation of the work (max. 500 characters)
• at least two digital production-related photographs (deliver these by email at avek(at)avek.kopiosto.fi)

The agreement may be cancelled and the support recovered

• If support is not used within the agreed time for the approved purpose.
• If recipient has provided AVEK with misleading information that has affected the granting of the support, or continuation of payments.
• If final report is not submitted within agreed time limit and in agreed form, and recipient has not agreed on a new procedure with AVEK.

Notice of termination will be made in writing.

Eco support is meant for documentary, short film, short animation film or documentary series productions that have already gotten AVEK’s development or production support.

The support is an incentive to apply principles of sustainable development in productions.

Costs related to this support must already be presented to AVEK in the original development or production budget.

Decision to grant the eco support is made by the commissioner who had made the previous support decision.

Already in the earlier application phase, the applicant must present to the commissioner the production’s sustainable development goals and appoint a person who is responsible for the sustainability in the production.

Support can be applied for the extra costs caused by sustainable development in the production, based on the reporting of realised costs, actions made and the realisation of sustainability goals.

The support is applied from post production support, after the final reporting of the original development or production support. Application must be marked with the name “EKO: the production’s name” (the original name of the production that has already gotten support). Before sending the application, please contact the commissioner who granted the previous support.