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About the Funding
Criteria
Who can Apply
Making an Application

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Funding to enable the completion of a fiction film, animation or documentary (but not a TV drama or short film) which has reached post-production stage or later without BSÉ/IFB support, but which has run out of money.

Note: producers of projects which are already in receipt of BSÉ/IFB production funding, but which have incurred overcosts and require additional funding in order to be completed, should not apply for Completion funding under this programme. Application for that type of additional production funding should be made as advised by the responsible Production Executive and without an application form.

Important Notes:

(1)  Assessment of applications for BSE/IFB Completion funding is becoming increasingly rigorous, with approval given only in cases where the material shot is of exceptional quality and where management of the production and its financing to date is transparent and clearly professional.

(2)  For live action productions, projects must have had adequate production insurances in place and be capable of obtaining E&O insurance cover.

(3)  Only projects that have been initiated and predominantly managed in and from Ireland will be considered for BSE/IFB Completion funding.

About the Funding
Funding is provided in the form of limited-recourse loans recoverable from a share of revenues from exploitation of the film and entitling BSÉ/IFB to a share of net profits.

Applicants should be thoroughly aware of the regulations and limits that govern the amount of funding BSÉ/IFB can provide to a project. These can be found on the Regulations & Limits page of the Overview section of this website.

BSÉ/IFB Completion funding is generally provided during the remaining stages of production in accordance with an agreed cashflow. Before starting to fund, BSÉ/IFB will need to review a full cost report. BSÉ/IFB will also need to be satisfied that any other parties’ material interests in the project have been declared by the producer and that any other financiers who have invested in the project have agreed the terms on which BSÉ/IFB’s Completion funding will be provided. BSÉ/IFB typically offers Completion funding on a last-in-first-out basis, i.e. BSÉ/IFB will expect to recoup its investment ahead of any existing financiers including the producer.

Criteria
Applicants should read carefully the Principles & Criteria guidelines on this website with particular reference to the paragraphs on:

• Additionality
• Cultural Priorities, Industrial Priorities
• Making Cinema
• Originality

In making funding of any kind available, BSÉ/IFB pays close attention to any previous work by individuals making the application, taking into account their creative abilities in audiovisual media as well as their professional competence and reliability.

Who Can Apply
BSÉ/IFB funding for Completion is available to producers of a fiction film, animation or documentary (but not a TV drama or short film) which has reached post-production stage or later without BSÉ/IFB support. It is not available to assist completion of projects that have not finished shooting.

Funding under this Completion funding programme is provided by BSÉ/IFB to assist the making of films predominantly in English or Irish, or a combination of the two. Where this type of support is to be provided to a project initiated outside Ireland, all funding provided by BSÉ/IFB must be spent on Irish personnel and production services (with the exception of film laboratory costs).

Making an Application
Before making an application it is essential that you have read the How To Apply guidelines on this website, paying particular attention to procedures to be followed and BSÉ/IFB executives responsible for each type of funding.

Before applying for this type of production funding, personal contact with one of BSÉ/IFB’s Production team – either the Chief Executive (Simon Perry) or one of the Production Executives (Emma Scott, Alan Maher) – is essential in order to discuss the state of the project and its readiness to be considered. An application will not be accepted (i.e. logged in and processed) without this prior discussion having taken place.

NOTE the new item to be supplied under Additional Materials, listed first below.

If, having studied the How To Apply guidelines, you have any further queries about this type of funding you should contact BSÉ/IFB’s Production & Development Co-ordinator, Sarah Dillon.

In order to apply you must download the application form from this page, complete it in full, and send it – together with all the additional materials requested – to BSÉ/IFB’s head office in Galway. (You cannot apply for BSÉ/IFB funding by fax or online.) Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Additional Materials that must be included are:

• (New Item) Description of the work accomplished to date and the reasons why finance to cover the entire project is, or has become, unavailable 
• Logline (ca. 25 words)
• Synopsis (ca. ½ A4 page)
• DVD or VHS copy of the film as produced so far
• Description of the work to be done in order to complete
• Full production budget and detailed completion budget
• Detailed finance plan showing entitlements of all financiers already involved in the project
• CVs of all principals
• Full cast and crew lists
• Note of marketing, sales and distribution plans
• Evidence of ownership of rights in all relevant material including any music included in vision
• Copy of production insurance policy

Applications should be delivered by post, by courier or in person to:

Schemes & Applications Co-ordinator
Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board
Queensgate
23 Dock Road
Galway

Following receipt of a submission, applicants will be sent an acknowledgement letter including a reference number which should be retained for use on all future correspondence.

Under current practice, applications for Completion funding received in Galway by the last business day of a calendar month will be considered at a decision-making round that falls no more than four weeks later. Decisions are communicated to applicants by letter immediately thereafter.

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