Support for the distribution of non-national Films – the Distribution Selective Scheme.

The present call for proposals is subject to the availability of the funds after the adoption of the budget for 2018 by the budgetary authority.

1. OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

This notice is based on the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2014-2020)¹. Within the specific objective of promoting non-national circulation of European films, one of the priorities of the MEDIA Sub-programme is the following:

• supporting theatrical distribution through non-national marketing, branding, distribution and exhibition of audiovisual works;

The MEDIA Sub-programme shall provide support for the following:

• establishing systems of support for the distribution of non-national European films through theatrical distribution and on all other platforms as well as for international sales activities; in particular the subtitling, dubbing and audio-description of audiovisual works.

2. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applicants must be European cinema/theatrical distribution companies involved in commercial activity designed to bring to the attention of a wide audience a film for the purpose of exploitation in cinema theatres and whose activities contribute to the attainment of the above objectives.

Applicants must be established in one of the countries participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme and owned directly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries. The following countries are eligible as long as all conditions referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation establishing the Creative Europe Programme are met and the Commission has entered into negotiation with the country:

• EU Member States and overseas countries and territories which are eligible to participate in the Programme pursuant to Article 58 of Council Decision 2001/822/EC;
• Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective Framework Agreements, Association Council Decisions or similar agreements;
• EFTA countries which are members of the EEA, in accordance with the provisions of the EEA Agreement;
• The Swiss Confederation, on the basis of a bilateral agreement to be concluded with that country;
• Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy in accordance with the procedures established with those countries following the framework agreements providing for their participation in Union programmes.

The Programme shall also be open for bilateral or multilateral cooperation actions targeted at selected countries or regions on the basis of additional appropriations paid by, and specific arrangements to be agreed upon with, those countries or regions.

The Programme shall permit cooperation and joint actions with countries not participating in the Programme and with international organisations which are active in the cultural and creative sectors such as UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development or the World Intellectual Property Organisation on the basis of joint contributions for the realisation of the Programme's objectives.

Proposals from applicants in non EU countries may be selected, provided that, on the date of the award decision, agreements have been signed setting out the arrangements for the participation of those countries in the programme established by the Regulation referred to above.

3. ELIGIBLE ACTIONS

The activities to be funded are campaigns for the distribution of eligible non-national European films, submitted as part of an eligible grouping of minimum 7 eligible distributors coordinated by the sales agent of the film.

The film must have been majority produced by a producer/producers established in countries participating in the MEDIA sub-programme and made with a significant participation by professionals from those countries. The film must be a recent work of fiction, animation or documentary of more than 60 minutes long and from a different country than the country of distribution.

The film must not consist in alternative content (operas, concerts, performances, etc.) or advertising, Films from DE, ES, FR, IT, and UK must have a production budget of maximum 10M€. For the film to be eligible its first copyright must not have been established before 2015.

The theatrical release of the film (not including previews or special screenings) shall take place in the territories concerned at the earliest on the same day as the date of submission and within 18 months after the relevant deadline for submission.

4. AWARD CRITERIA

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria.

• Number of eligible distributors in the grouping – (1 point/ distributor)
• Number of eligible distributors that have generated a potential fund under the last automatic distribution call for proposals (1 point/ distributor)
• Film produced in a country participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme, with the exception of DE, ES, FR, IT and UK (2 points)

The grouping of distributors that present a live-action children's film with the highest score will be selected, regardless the ranking of applications in the entire selection process.

5. BUDGET

The total budget available is EUR 9.750.000. The financial contribution will take the form of a lump sum², according to the number of screens reached on the first week of release, between EUR 2.200 and EUR 150.000.

6. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

The deadlines for sending applications are 5/12/2017 and 14/06/2018. Proposals must be received before 12.00 noon (midday Brussels time) on the relevant deadline, using the online application form (eForm). No other method of submission of an application will be accepted. Applicants shall ensure that all the documents requested and mentioned in the eForms are provided.

¹ Regulation No 1295/2013, Official Journal of the European Union of 20/12/2013 (OJ L347/221) and its corrigendum of 27/06/2014 (OJ L189/260)
² Commission Decision C(2017) 6118 of the 14/09/2017 amending Commission Decision C(2013) 9199 of 18/12/2013