Low-budget feature films with artistic ambition and a potential audience of 75,000 people – that’s the challenge issued by Rå|Film, a new pilot fund, to the Danish film industry in 2008.
Since August, the Danish Film Institute has been in ongoing dialogue with the industry about establishing a new fund to inspire artistic and commercial innovation.
"We have to listen to the signals from the market," says chief executive at the Danish Film Institute, Henrik Bo Nielsen. "It's important to be flexible when the market indicates a need for other types of film projects. Also, we hope to gain experiences that may be useful to us in the longer term as well."
The central aim of the new low-budget pilot fund is to promote diversity in Danish cinema, the financial limitation in itself aimed at stimulating the industry to try out new forms of storytelling as well as production.
Thus, the films eligible for subsidy must have an original approach and artistic ambition but at the same time reflect the demands of the market, with a clear target group and a potential audience of at least 75,000 moviegoers. Maximum budget for the film projects applying is 10 million kroner (1.35 million euros), and each project can receive up to 3 million kroner (400,000 euros).
The Danish Film Institute has allocated 15 million kroner (2 million euros) to Rå|Film and expects to subsidise five to seven new features in 2008. Film projects will be evaluated by a five-person editorial committee comprising film DFI consultants and two external evaluators – professionals with commercial insight into the market.
For further information:
Danish Film InstituteAnnemarie Hoersman, +45 3374 3438, annemarieh@dfi.dk