UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation – Female Filmmakers Support Programme

UNIQA has launched a special support programme for women film artists within its UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation in cooperation with the Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days. The programme called "Female Filmmakers Support Programme" aims to support and empower women in film from six countries where UNIQA operates in Southeast Europe: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro.  

The objectives of the Female Filmmakers Support Programme are to develop and support women in the film industry from South East Europe in the production of independent film, to increase the representation and diversity of women in the regional film industry, to facilitate networking, skills development and funding opportunities for women in film.   

Female Filmmakers Support Programme (FFSP) supported by the UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation, is designed to support and promote women filmmakers in Southeast Europe by providing financial assistance for the production of their film projects, as well as to support the development of their careers through Slano Film Days which is part of CineLink Industry Training and Skills Programme.   

Who can apply?

The call for the Female Filmmakers Support Programme is open to female directors or co-directors and at least one other key associate (screenwriter, director of photography, composer, editor) who identifies as a woman. Although the Foundation focuses on six countries (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro), it is also possible for a person from other countries to apply, provided that they have a producer or co-producer coming from one of the aforementioned countries. In this way, co-production and cooperation are actively promoted as they enable the inclusion of projects and talents outside the Foundation's core focus countries. By involving producers and co-producers from the countries of the region, the programme not only expands the reach and diversity of applications, but also encourages international cooperation and strengthens the network of film professionals. Through this approach, the Foundation contributes to strengthening the regional film industry and linking it to global trends. 

The value of the Female Filmmakers Support Programme is EUR 150,000 for 2025. Female Filmmakers Support Programme is approved for the next two years. 

Rules and Regulations  

  • The applicant (production company) must be registered in the countries of Southeastern Europe: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, or Bulgaria *. 

  • The director or co-director must identify as a woman. 

  • The project must have at least one key female artistic collaborator (screenwriter, cinematographer, editor) who also identifies as a woman. 

  • The project budget must be realistic and amount to at least 100,000 EUR in total. 

  • The project must be a feature-length film, either narrative, documentary, or essayistic. 

* To apply for the Female Filmmakers Support Programme, the applicant (production company) must be registered in one of the six listed countries of Southeastern Europe. This requirement does not apply to the nationality or residence of the director. In other words, although the application must be submitted by a company from one of the listed countries, the director of the project can come from any country, provided the film project aligns with the goals and criteria of the program. At least one co-producer or key female artistic collaborator must come from the UNIQA SEE countries.  

Materials for application 

  • Logline 

  • Synopsis (up to 300 characters, including spaces) 

  • Script (current version of the script) 

  • Director's Statement (up to 1,500 characters, including spaces) 

  • Motivational Letter from the Director 

  • A personal motivational letter detailing the plans for the career development of the key artistic collaborator (up to 1,500 characters, including spaces) 

  • Moodboard 

  • Biography and Filmography of the Director 

  • Biography and Filmography of the Key Artistic Collaborator 

  • Links to Previous Films by the Director 

  • Links to Previous Films by the Key Artistic Collaborator 

  • Biography and Filmography of the Production Company   

 

Apply

The application must be submitted via the form available at the LINK. 

 

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by February 19, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. 

More information on the UNIQA SEE FUTURE Foundation - Female Filmmakers Support Programme website.

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