Feature film finance anyone? Have you an idea for a movie? Have you got a fantastic script? Are you awaiting a pile of cash so you can make it? Do you know anything about film finance basics?
I got this email from a member of Raindance:
If a U.S. filmmaker was seeking out of U.S. financing –
1. What sources specifically would you recommend pursuing – and advise staying away from – particularly for a low budget film (under US$1m)
2. What would boost the filmmaker’s chance of securing that funding?
Here’s what I wrote while sitting in the coffee shop at La Guardia airport awaiting a snow delayed flight to Montreal:
Any filmmaker seeking funding needs a producer.
😉
And seeking funding abroad means finding a producer from another territory ie a co-producer.
A European producer should be aware of local and regional film funds and also know how local tax incentives work for local taxpayer willing to invest into a project regardless of the nationality of the film or filmmaker.
A great place to meet such producers is the Cinemart in Rotterdam, Berlinale and of course Cannes.
The second part of the question takes a bit more effort. What makes a film financable, regardless of its budget? Here are five key elements:
- has the film got an audience?
- has the film got any marketable talent attached?
- has the film got realistic revenue projections?
- has the film got a sound business plan?
- has the film got a solid social media strategy?
Any three of these five essentials should mean you have a pretty good shot at the gold at the end of the rainbow, meaning you’ll eat cake too!
I hope this helps.
If you want a course that explains film finance in more depth, check out the evening Movie Money class. You can take this class in person, or online.
Don’t let lack of money stop you from making a film!
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- Raindance Film School London offers HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking and Screenwriting?
- Let Raindance guide you on your filmmaking pathway. call +44 (0) 207 930 3412 or email filmschool@raindance.ac.uk
- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of benefits
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
Check out my new Substack for in depth Free Articles:
