Production support

Preparing an application:

• Study the grant announcement and the support guide carefully.
• Log in to our application system with your Suomi.fi e-Identification.
• Fill in an application in the application system. The application consists of
  1) an application form
  2) the application’s appendices
  3) the applicant’s appendices
• Submit the application before the deadline.

Timeline for decision making

1. General

The definition of film

In this guide, film and film production refer to a feature-length or short fiction, documentary, animation or children’s film, a documentary or an animation series, or a combination thereof.

The aim of the support

The aim of the Finnish Film Foundation is to promote diverse, professional film production in Finland and to secure the continuity and diversity of professional film production. The Foundation’s values include participation, pluralism, cultural diversity and artistic freedom.

The purpose of the support is to promote high-quality, diverse and original Finnish film production as well as the broad and extensive supply and distribution of films.

To whom?

Production support may be granted to a film production company registered in Finland (registered company: limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, co-operative) with the professional and financial prerequisites to produce films and to manage their commercial rights in Finland.

For example, a private trader, company name (toiminimi) or a registered association are not registered companies in Finland.

Professional prerequisites demand that the production company can handle the various stages of producing the film for which it has applied development support, as well as the purposeful distribution and other uses of the film.

From the perspective of financing, it is essential that the production company has the required liquidity and solvency to produce the film and overcome surprising changes in costs that may happen during production.

Development and production support cannot be granted to a government department, municipality, federation of municipalities or parish, state-owned or other comparable communities or departments. Moreover, development and production support cannot be granted to a television or streaming company, or to a film production company with one or more shareholders who hold at least 15% in shares and act in television production or streaming services.

For what purpose and how much?

The production support is aimed at the production of films based on an artistic plan. The film may be a feature-length or short fiction, documentary, animation or children’s film, documentary or animated series, or a combination thereof.

Production support is not granted for completed films. A film is considered completed when its screening copy or digital master copy has been completed.

The amount of support

The maximum amount of production support is €1,200,000. Support can cover up to 90% of the costs approved by the Finnish Film Foundation.

Previous support decisions may be viewed from the Foundation’s support decisions page.

Development support for the film is considered part of production support

How and when to apply?

Development support is applied for by submitting an application in the application system before the deadline given in the grant announcement.

The application consist of:

1) an application form
2) the application’s appendices
3) the applicant’s appendices

Prior to submitting an application, you must carefully read the relevant grant announcement and support guide. You should begin preparing the application well ahead of the deadline.

The applicant is responsible for submitting the application within the deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline are transferred to the next application period.

The application deadline is at 16:00 on the last day of the application period.

A good application and smooth communication

Finnish Film Foundation processes approximately 250–300 applications each application period and the production department makes roughly 1,300 decisions each year. It is essential for the evaluation and comparison of the applications that the application is clear and carefully prepared.

In a good application, the topic, script, and work and financial plans are presented consistently and demonstrate that the applicant has control over the film project from scriptwriting to distribution.

Be clear and relate the essentials in your application. Consider the operating environment and realities of film productions, including how the film’s funding and distribution are related to the film’s theme, topic and genre. Consider also how the support corresponds with its goals and what is special about this particular film.

Application and the applicant’s information

The Foundation’s application system has two windows:

1) Applications, where all the information and appendices related to the application are submitted

2) Applicant’s appendices (“Hakijan liitteet”), where all current production company documents are submitted

Fluent processing and communication

When uploading appendices, make sure that

• the forms are up-to-date and include the date.
• the appendices show the current crew.
• the agreements are signed by all relevant parties.
• the length of the film is uniform in all documentation.
• the figures are uniform in all documentation, including the cost estimate, financing plan and the development and production plan drafted according to the Foundation’s template.
• you fill in the development and production plan according to the Foundation’s template as completely as possible and refrain from referring to appendices.
• you use the most recent version of the Foundation’s forms.

What requirements must the applicant meet?

A positive support decision requires that

• the applicant has complied with possible previous support agreements, conditions and delivered all overdue final reports on previous support.
• the funding of the film is essentially secured. The applicant must show with binding confirmations or agreements that the plan related to the production support is feasible. The Foundation evaluates the feasibility of the applicant’s budget.
• the film has secured professional distribution that enables a meaningful and widest possible audience and visibility through public screening and distribution.

If the applicant is applying to fund a Finnish minority share of an international co-production, the decision also takes into account the project’s interest to a Finnish audience, the preconditions for continuing the collaboration between the parties and the production and artistic contributions of the Finnish party.

The Foundation may request further information if it deems it necessary for the decision-making process.

Support cannot be granted if the application is insufficient and the required information is not uploaded into the application system in time despite requests to do so.

How are the applications evaluated?

Support may be granted to develop a cultural product that

1. forms an artistic whole,
2. has content that is based on cultural values originating in cultural identity,
3. includes a significant contribution by significant creators and artists, and where the share of wages and salaries of the overall production costs is significant.

Support is discretionary. The evaluation and comparison of the applications is based on an overall assessment that considers the purpose of the funds, the grounds mentioned in the grant announcement and available funds in the budget.

The film project’s content, artistry and production are evaluated as a whole, and the evaluation takes into consideration the applicant’s artistic and professional qualifications that contribute to the probability of completing the project.

Other support previously granted by the Foundation to the applicant is also taken into account.

How are the decisions made?

The Board of the Finnish Film Foundation decides on development and production support based on the presentation of a Film Commissioner.

The Foundation aims to make decisions within 8–10 weeks after the application deadline.

All applicants receive a written decision that contains the conditions of the support and a claim for corrections with instructions. You will get an email when the decision is made to the email address given in the Applicant’s information.

The decision is based on the act of government funding for the advancement of cinema (1174/2018), the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) and the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003).

Finnish Film Foundation will sign a support agreement with the film’s production company before paying the support.

2. Production support application

Fill out an application in the application system consisting of the following:

1. Application form
2. Application’s appendices
3. Applicant’s appendices

The Foundation will appoint a film commissioner to the application. The applicant can see the name of the film commissioner in the application about a week after the deadline. If the project has previous support from the Foundation, the same film commissioner will be appointed to the new application.

If the application needs to be supplemented during the processing time, the film commissioner or other person handling the application will be in contact.

We do not comment on the possible decision during processing time.

Obligatory appendices of the production support application

You can submit the application once all the obligatory appendices are uploaded to the application system.

Production support is intended for the production of films based on an artistic plan.

The financing plan and the detailed budget must include all the financing and the costs that the production of the film up till a finished screening copy (DCP or other possible format) requires.

3. Decision

After the decision made by the Finnish Film Foundation’s Board has been processed, you will receive a message to the email address you have given in the Applicant’s information.

The decision can be read in the application’s Decision (“Päätös”) view.

The film commissioner can elaborate on the grounds for the decision verbally if the applicant so wishes. The applicant can set a date for this with the film commissioner.

After the decision has been made, the Application’s appendices folder is closed.

After a favourable decision you will get instructions on how to proceed to an agreement to the email address given in the Application’s information.

Upload the support agreement appendices to the Agreement appendices (“Sopimusliitteet”) folder.

Upload the appendices pertaining to the oversight and reporting to the Reporting and final report (“Raportointi ja loppuselvitys”) folder.

4. Production support agreement

An agreement between the Foundation and the recipient on the production support must be signed within six (6) months of the favourable decision or the decision will expire.

Upload the agreement appendices to the application system in the corresponding folder (“Sopimusliitteet”). The agreement is signed online in the Visma Sign service.

The recipient is responsible for adding and updating all support decision appendices before they request a date to draft the support agreement with the person responsible for production support agreements.

A prerequisite for signing the support agreement is that if the film that has received production support has unreported development support, its final report must be approved by the Foundation before the production support agreement can be signed. The final report procedure is recorded in the development support guide.

The support agreement confirms the budget and financing of the film and other agreements necessary for completing the film.

Deviation from the verified budget and support focus are possible only with the Foundation’s written agreement. The recipient is
responsible for executing the project in the manner and within the schedule agreed to in the agreement

After a discussion with the support recipient, the Foundation’s international department has the right to submit a film that has received production support to international, non-commercial film events. If the support recipient submits the film to similar international events, they are required to notify the Foundation’s international department.

5. Support payment

Production support is paid in five (5) instalments to the recipient’s Finnish bank account.:

1. 20% after signing the support agreement

2. 50% when shooting begins

A prerequisite for the payment are the following appendices to the application:

• the producer’s informal written announcement about the beginning of shooting
• assurance that the production crew and their supervisors have been given clear instructions on how to proceed when encountering possible harassment or unacceptable behavior. Also a description of the method used to provide the crew and their supervisors with these instructions.
• proof of film production insurance when the total budget is or exceeds €500,000

If shooting takes place in two or more phases, the Foundation may divide the two instalments into several instalments. This does not apply to so-called second-unit shoots.

3. 10% after principal photography has ended and when the midterm report drafted according to the Foundation’s template has been approved by the Foundation

The recipient is obligated to provide the Foundation with a midterm report about the production’s progress prepared according to the Foundation’s template after principle photography has ended or after the final phase has ended.

The midterm report must show an itemised list of the project’s actual costs and funding in relation to the budget and an estimate of future expenses and funding.

The midterm report must be verified by an accountant.

The midterm must contain a written report of the production’s progress in relation to planning, the remaining work stages, schedules and any relevant budget anomalies. The Foundation may request further information if it deems it necessary for the midterm report.

Upload the midterm report to the application system in the Reporting and final report folder (“Raportointi ja loppuselvitys”).

4. 10% after the Foundation’s film commissioner has approved the film’s edited workprint

5. 10% or a maximum of €20,000 after the final report has been approved by the Foundation

If 10% of the support exceeds €20,000, the excess is paid in the third instalment.

6. Oversight

Finnish Film Foundation oversees and supervises how the support is used. The Foundation has the right to use audits to oversee payments and how the support is used. The Foundation may also postpone payments during audits.

Organising project oversight

The recipient must maintain their accounts according to the Accounting Act and the Accounting Ordinance and follow sound accounting procedures. The recipient must organise the project’s audit trail – the link between the recipient’s financial statement and the project’s statement of charges – in a way that it can be reliably, completely and transparently verified by a third party.

The Foundation always reserves the right to fully audit the recipient’s accounting and management.

The recipient is obligated to provide their accountant and auditor the film’s support agreement and all appendices. If the recipient neglects these duties, the Foundation has the right to deliver the documents to the accountant and auditor named in the support agreement.

The recipient must observe and notify their accountant and their auditor of the Foundation’s instructions and guidelines (2021, pdf in Finnish) concerning the film industry’s accounting, financial statement and auditing principles.

Disclosure requirement

The recipient must provide the Finnish Film Foundation the correct and sufficient information to enable oversight of the support decision’s conditions.

The recipient must inform the Foundation of all changes that influence the way the support is used without delay. Changes that influence the use of the support include changes in the project’s quality, breadth and funding. The Foundation also always has the right to receive information about the project’s current status and follow the project’s progress.

A written report of changes must be emailed to the film commissioner who presented the support to the Foundation’s Board. The basis for the report is the support agreement between the recipient and the Foundation which can only be changed with written permission from the Foundation.

7. Production support final report

The final report must be submitted to the Foundation no later than the final report deadline noted in the support agreement.

The final report must include an account of realized financing and costs up until the production of a screening copy (DCP or other possible format).

The final audit report in co-productions where the Foundation support recipient is the main producer

If the film project has been organised by more than one production company, the itemised final report and summary submitted to the Foundation must contain the actualised costs of all the production companies and funding from the acquisition of copyright to the first finished screening copy.

The final audit report in co-productions where the Foundation support recipient is a minority co-producer

The final report submitted to the Foundation is based on the production support agreement and the Finnish minority share.

Contingencies

Contingencies may only be admitted if they do not exceed the amount set in the support agreement. If the production has gone over budget, the recipient must deduct the excess from contingencies. The recipient may use the undeducted portion of the confirmed budget reserves in the support agreement for incidental expenses.

Administrative costs

5% of the actualised production costs may be fixed overheads and considered as administrative costs. Administrative costs designated to various film projects by the production company must not exceed actualised and booked overhead costs.

The company’s own equipment

The use of the company’s own equipment and other internal transfers must be accounted for and itemised in the final report. If they have changed in relation to budgeted costs, the recipient must report them adequately

Auditing procedure

Upload the final report to the application system in the Reporting and final report (“Raportointi ja loppuselvitys”) folder.

Information on the submission of the final report to the online application system is emailed to Accounting Specialist Pirjo Harmainen, pirjo.harmainen@ses.fi.

An automatic message indicating that the final report is missing is only removed when the final report has been approved at The Foundation and the final instalment of the support has been paid.

In the application’s Payment information (“Maksutiedot”) window you can see when each instalment has been paid.

The Foundation may request further information if it deems it necessary for the approval of the final report. Finnish Film Foundation has the right to perform audits on the recipient’s finances and activities based on the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, section 16.

The recipient must ascertain that the Foundation has the necessary prerequisites to perform the audit.

The Foundation approves the project’s final costs and funding based on the final report.

If the project’s support exceeds the actualised costs, the Foundation deducts the sum from the unpaid instalment. If the sum is larger than the unpaid instalment, the recipient must immediately return the excess portion of the support to the Foundation.

8. Halting payment and repayment

If the recipient does not repay Finnish Film Foundation according to the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, section 20, repayment of the support or a portion of it will proceed according to section 9 and section 10 of the act of government transfers to promote film culture.

Section 9 Halting payments

The Arts Promotion Center Finland is responsible for halting payments. Finnish Film Foundation must immediately propose to the Arts Promotion Center Finland that the government transfer be halted if the Foundation has discovered information that warrants the halting of the payments. The Arts Promotion Center decides on the halting of payments and the continuation or halting of government transfers based on the Foundation’s suggestion.

The decision of the halting of payments must be made immediately and, for special reasons, during at least two calendar years after the Finnish Film Foundation’s suggestion. Finnish Film Foundation must include sufficient and essential information to make a decision to halt payments. The Arts Promotion Center Finland also has the right to receive the necessary information from the Finnish Film Foundation to halt payments without regard to confidentiality agreements.

Section 10 Repayment

The Arts Promotion Center Finland is responsible for halting payments. Finnish Film Foundation must immediately inform the Arts Promotion Center Finland of facts that would or should warrant government transfer repayments. The Arts Promotion Center Finland makes the repayment decision.

The decision of repayments must be made immediately and, for special reasons, during at least two calendar years after the Finnish Film Foundation’s suggestion. Finnish Film Foundation must include sufficient and essential information to make a decision of repayments. The Arts Promotion Center Finland also has the right to receive the necessary information from the Finnish Film Foundation for repayments without regard to confidentiality agreements.