Film - World Cinema Fund

The World Cinema Fund (WCF) was founded in October 2004 as a joint initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlinale. It immediately established itself as one of the leading institutions funding outstanding international productions and rapidly gained recognition from those in the industry. The World Cinema Fund supports films which could not otherwise be realized without its funding. They are uniquely aesthetic, tell memorable stories and authentically reflect the cultural background of the regions in which they are made.

The WCF supports cooperative projects involving German film producers and non-European filmmakers and producers. The World Cinema Fund has previously focussed its funding activities in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia; beginning in August 2007, filmmakers from Southeast Asia and the Caucasus can also apply for funding.

Since it was established, the World Cinema Fund has provided production and distribution funding to a total of 88 projects, selected from 1,538 project applications from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and South East Asia and the Caucasus. When a film receives WCF funding, many in the film industry regard it as a "seal of quality". Numerous WCF-funded films have been invited to the most important international film festivals in the world and distinguished with top film awards. Within just a few years, the World Cinema Fund has established itself as an instrument for cultural funding and intercultural dialogue, as well as for promoting international contacts within the film industry.

The World Cinema Fund has an annual budget of ca. € 400,000 with which it supports the production and distribution of feature-length films and documentaries.

To be eligible for funding, production companies must work with directors from the regions mentioned above. German production companies are also eligible for funding if they prove that they have worked together with a director from one of these regions. Furthermore, the production companies must have their headquarters in Germany. Foreign-based production companies must prove they have cooperated with a German partner company, but can apply for funding prior to submitting this proof.