Apply for Realization Long Documentary Funding Scheme

The Long Documentary Realization scheme is aimed at experienced and novice filmmakers.

Funding Information

• The following contributions can be requested for the Realization of a Long Documentary:
  • A realisation contribution of up to €275,000 for a documentary including the earmarked amount for audio description and subtitling to make films accessible to the visually and hearing impaired via all platforms.
• After the contribution has been granted, the board may, prior to the implementation agreement and upon request, grant an earmarked contribution for:
  • Max. €6,000 for the development of an impact and/or outreach plan by a (film) professional (for example an impact producer or a publicist);
  • Maximum €6,000 for sales deliveries, including an international press kit – international sales (based on a sales agreement)
  • A maximum of 75% of the total costs for marketing and associated promotion up to a maximum of €20,000 for costs borne by the production company.

What is it?

• The Realization Long Documentary scheme focuses on supporting high-quality majority Dutch long documentary productions (longer than 70 minutes). With this scheme, the Fund strives to guarantee a varied and distinctive film offering for a diverse audience.
• They choose original, distinctive films with guts and idiosyncrasy, films that stimulate the imagination and tell relevant stories for the Dutch audience. They strive for the most varied (selectively supported) offer possible, with room for all narrative perspectives, categories, segments and genres, made by a balanced mix of experienced and novice makers.
• They select on content and cinematographic quality and a diverse, daring and relevant offer. The content and artistic quality of the previous work of the creative team is taken into account.
• They explicitly strive for a balanced public-private financing mix in the film projects they support. This means that the Film Fund contribution must be in proportion to the investments of other parties and the intended audience reach. The higher the requested fund contribution, the more important the financing of other parties and the ambitions to reach a broad audience.

Eligibility Criteria

• An application for this scheme can be submitted by an independent production company (a legal entity, not a sole proprietorship or general partnership) that has been established for at least two years in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a member state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and that produces and exploits films and other audiovisual productions on a continuous basis.
• The production company is represented by a producer who, as majority producer, has been primarily responsible for the realization of at least one long documentary with a cinema release in the Netherlands. The producer who represents the production company is not the same person as the director of the documentary.
• The film plans must also meet the following conditions:
  • The independence of the producer as a cultural entrepreneur is guaranteed;
  • There is a need for subsidy. The fund contribution is of decisive importance for the feasibility of the financing;
  • The financing plan for a film production provides a realistic overview of (potential) financiers. Written evidence or statements must be added for previously promised contributions. The extent to which concrete commitments have already been made by third parties – for example film distributors or operators – is included in the assessment;
  • The application includes a vision of the creative team for the release;
  • The script is ready for production;
  • A director is attached to the project. In addition, a director’s vision has been added to the film plan, in which the contours of the intended audiovisual form and style are convincingly outlined.

For more information, visit Netherlands Film Fund.