Funding Austria

Funding is provided for material development, project development, production, and distribution of Austrian productions and Austrian-foreign co-productions that fill a program schedule.

The project commission decides on development and production funding. The management decides on distribution, training, and reference film funding according to the dual control principle.

Script development

The Film Institute supports the development of screenplays for feature films and shooting concepts for documentaries with non-repayable grants of up to EUR 15,000. Funding for further development of the screenplay can be reapplied for in a second stage.

Project development

Project development funding covers all preparatory measures prior to the start of filming, including putting together the crew, casting and location scouting, creating the final version of the script or shooting concept (this must be included with the application), developing the production concept, and initial marketing measures. Production companies are eligible to apply. Up to 50% of the recognized preliminary costs are funded, in exceptional cases up to 80%, with a maximum of EUR 50,000 as a non-repayable grant; this upper limit may be exceeded for animated films.

Production

Funding is available for feature-length Austrian films of various genres with a running time of at least 70 minutes (feature films), 59 minutes (children's films), or 45 minutes (films by young filmmakers).

Production companies with a current filmography are eligible to apply. Applications must include a production-ready script or concept, lists of crew and cast members, a detailed calculation with a financing plan, and information on all production companies involved.

International co-productions are treated in the same way as Austrian films, provided they meet the conditions of the respective film agreements or the European Convention on Co-productions. Only the Austrian share is eligible for funding.

A debut film is defined as the first or second feature-length film directed by a single director.

First-time production companies without a filmography will be assigned a mentor by the ÖFI. Workshop projects serve the purpose of training and further education for filmmakers and must be purely Austrian. In addition to the young director, at least two young professionals must be employed in the creative areas of camera, editing, sound, costume, or makeup for feature films, and one young professional for documentaries. Feature-length films may only be submitted as workshop projects if the total production costs do not exceed EUR 1.57 million.

Applications must be submitted exclusively via the online forms.