WCF Classic

In 2004 the WCF started as an initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the Berlin International Film Festival, with the goal of creating a unique funding structure based on an efficient production and cooperation model. The WCF Classic programme represents the initiative's core. Throughout this programme the WCF has helped to give shape and visibility lo largely unseen cinema – by supporting film production in the WCF focus regions and countries. 

Funding is granted to cooperations between German production companies and filmmakers in WCF eligible regions/countries. The following constellations are possible at the moment of entering the application:

• Film production companies from WCF-supported regions (78 KB) that can confirm their collaboration with a director from the WCF supported regions/countries, or
• Registered film production companies based in Germany (in the commercial register or registered trade) that can prove a working relationship with a director from the regions/countries eligible for WCF funding or
• Registered film production companies (in the commercial register or registered trade) from other EU member states, provided they have a branch or place of business in Germany and can prove a working relationship with a director from the regions/countries eligible for WCF funding.

The WCF aims to support films in the WCF regions/countries by developing active cooperations between producers and directors from these regions/countries and German partners. Therefore, German film companies play an important role in the structure of the WCF – in a cultural-political and in an economic way.

The producer from a WCF region/country can submit a project without having a German partner involved at the time of application. However, a German partner is needed as soon as a project is recommended for funding by the WCF jury. The WCF often serves as a bridge between producers from abroad and German companies, i. e. it can assist in finding an adequate partner. Once a cooperation is in place, the WCF jury's funding recommendation can be turned into a funding contract between the WCF and the German partner.

The German partner is responsible for signing the funding agreement with the WCF and is the actual recipient of the WCF support. He is also held liable by the WCF for the project. For the final accounting, the German partner has to deliver an auditor’s report/certificate confirming that the WCF funding amount (minuspossible overheads of 7.5 percent maximum for the German partner) was entirely spent for the production of the film in a WCF region/country.

There are two submission processes per year.

• The deadline for the first submission process is end of February/beginning of March. The jury meetings in which decisions are made on these submissions are usually held at the end of June/beginning of July.
• The deadline for the second submission process is in July and jury meetings to decide on these submissions are usually held in early November.

Decisions on funding recommendations are announced after the respective jury meetings.

The exact deadlines will be published on this website in due time and the application form will be activated between four to six weeks before the respective deadline.

• Maximum funding: 60,000 Euros per project and 40,000 Euros for post-production funding.
• The total production costs of the supported projects should range between 200,000 Euros and 1,400,000 Euros.
• The funding must be spent on the production of the film in the aforementioned regions.
• The contractual partner is always the German partner.

The submission form will be available on this Website between four to six weeks prior to the deadline.

Please note that the form cannot be saved during the application process! It is therefore recommended that you have all information and documents ready before starting to fill out the form. By submitting, your application is complete. You will then receive an automatic confirmation email.

The following documents must be attached to the online Submission Form (in English or French):

• Financing information:
  • Financing Plan in Euros and in the respective local currency (if available). A model financing plan can be downloaded here (16 KB).
    The financing plan must contain the following information: names of the companies/partners involved, type of financing (funds, own investment, in-kind contributions, Sales/MG, etc.), shares (in percentage) of the respective partners, broken down by country in each case. Please also indicate which amounts are already secured and which are still open (as well as the estimated date on which a response/decision is expected).
  • Budget (detailed): in Euros and local currency (if available).
• Contracts and agreements: all financing agreements and/or letters of intent from financing partners that have already been confirmed.
• Signed co-production contracts/cooperation agreements or deal memos.
• Rights transfer: The transfer of rights is a document or contract that transfers the rights of the screenwriter to the producer and officially authorises the latter to use the screenplay for a film project. If the author and the producer are the same person, it is not necessary to attach the statement.
• An artistic/visual concept with mood board, casting, locations, editing and narrative concept, etc.
• Script or treatment (in the case of a documentary project)
  • If the original language of the project is Spanish, please submit this version as well.
  • If submitting for post-production funding, the script is not required. In this case, a link to the rough cut is required.