Together with the Federal Foundation for Culture and in cooperation with the Goethe Institute, the Foreign Ministry and German producers, the World Cinema Fund works to develop and support cinema in regions with a weak film infrastructure, while fostering cultural diversity in German cinemas. The World Cinema Fund supports films that could not be made without additional funding: films that stand out with an unconventional aesthetic approach, that tell powerful stories and transmit an authentic image of their cultural roots.

The World Cinema Fund supports films that could not be made without additional funding: films that stand out with an unconventional aesthetic approach, that tell powerful stories and transmit an authentic image of their cultural roots.

The World Cinema Fund has an annual budget of approximately € 350,000 and supports exclusively the production and distribution of feature films and feature-length documentaries. The support is focused on the following regions: Latin America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caucasus.

Funding amounts

NOTE You always need a Film Business Plan to get funding from grants and investors.

Maximum funding: 80,000 EUR per project

The total production costs of the supported projects should lie between 200,000 EUR and 1,000,000 EUR

The funding must be spent on the production of the film in the aforementioned regions

Required documents

Completed application form

Two-page synopsis

Script in English or French (in the case of documentary films, an in-depth treatment and a detailed outline of the visual concept suffice)

Director’s statement and a description of the director’s visual concept

The director’s CV

The writer’s CV

Profile/filmography of the production company/ies

Proof of rights ownership

Detailed budget in euros

A financial plan in euros and copies of co-production contracts if applicable

Rights clearance

The director’s previous films on DVD

The World Cinema Fund supports exclusively the production and distribution of feature films and feature-length documentaries. The support is focused on the following regions and countries: Latin America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Caucasus as well as Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Sri Lanka.