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About the Funding
Criteria
Who Can Apply
Making an Application

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Funding for feature films originating outside Ireland in which an Irish producer is involved as a creative collaborator and provider of a minority of the finance needed; where the film is structured as an official co-production; and, in cartain cases, where there is a commitment by a funding body in the principal producer’s country to provide reciprocal support for an Irish film.

Note 1: this category does not include TV drama (singles or series)

Note 2: this programme is for live-action and animated feature films, but not animated TV series.

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 will need to be satisfied that the amount to be provided corresponds to the level of involvement of Irish personnel, elements and facilities in the co-production.

BSÉ/IFB production funding is generally provided during production in accordance with an agreed cashflow. Before starting to fund, BSÉ/IFB will need to be satisfied that all other providers of finance to the production are committed and contracted, and that the amount of finance available is sufficient to cover the entire budget.

An approved completion bond is a normal requirement by BSÉ/IFB where its funding is to be made available during production. The appointment of a collection agent is also normally required.

As a matter of principle films supported by BSÉ/IFB Creative Co-Production funding must be approved as official co-productions under a bilateral treaty or the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production. Where in exceptional cases BSÉ/IFB agrees to waive this requirement the film must still be structured as a bona fide co-production in which ownership, rights and revenues are shared among the co-producers. BSÉ/IFB will now not waive the requirement for offical status in respect of co-productions with the UK.

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
• Further Considerations

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 Creative Co-production is available to Irish producers who are seeking to co-produce and collaborate creatively on a feature film (live-action or animation) originated outside Ireland, which is structured as an official co-production.

In cases of co-production where the eventual film will have little or no visual Irish content and no apparent cultural connection with Ireland, as a condition of making its funding available BSÉ/IFB will require a commitment by a funding body in the principal producer’s country to provide an equivalent amount of reciprocal support for an Irish film within an agreed period of time. Where BSÉ/IFB wishes in principle to support a project, its executives will work with the Irish producer as needed in order to secure an appropriate commitment from the funding body in question.

Films funded under this Creative Co-production programme may be made in any language.

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.

It is also essential, in the case of Creative Co-production funding, that you download and read carefully the Admissible Irish Expenditure guidelines attached to this page.

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

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. In the case of Creative Co-production funding it may be particularly important to verify the balance of reciprocity existing at the time between the co-producing countries. An application will not be accepted (i.e. logged in and processed) without this prior discussion having taken place.

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) Explanation of the co-production structure, setting out the countries, companies and individual producers involved, the work to be undertaken by each and the respective percentages of their contributions 
• Screenplay (dated)
• Logline (ca. 25 words)
• Synopsis (ca. ½ A4 page)
• CVs of all principals, including co-producers
• Note of any cast or creative/technical personnel in place
• Note of any other marketable elements of the project
• Production budget, including topsheet
• Finance plan indicating sources confirmed
• Evidence of ownership by the principal producer of rights in all relevant material

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 Creative Co-production 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.

For a detailed account of the procedure by which production funding applications are considered, you should read the Production Procedures: Aims & Practice Guidelines with particular reference to points 1-11 in the funding section.

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