The Project Commission emphasizes in its mission statement its commitment to a “diversity of themes and stories that reflect the many different realities of life and reflect our society in a contemporary, critical and entertaining way. The structural goal is the representation and inclusion of all people living in Austria in front of and behind the camera.” Particular attention is also given to gender equality “in order to utilise the full potential of Austrian filmmaking and audiences.”

To support this objective, members of the Project Commission are regularly provided with standardized Inclusion Checks (without ranking and/or funding recommendations) for submitted project development and production applications.

Each Inclusion Check consists of two complementary parts:

1. Applicant Self-Reflection:

This first part of the Inclusion Check consists of questions concerning the diversity and inclusion aspects of a project and is completed by the applicants as part of the online application process. Through this mandatory component of the application materials, the Austrian Film Institute aims to provide filmmakers with a tool that enables them to reflect purposefully on their creative practice in relation to these issues.

FAQ - Applicant Self-Reflection

The Self-Reflection is part of the Austrian Film Institute’s Inclusion Check. It provides filmmakers with a questionnaire designed to help them reflect on their creative practice in relation to diversity and inclusion. The questionnaire is completed by applicants as part of the submission process and is made available to the Project Commission as part of the Inclusion Check.

The Inclusion Check also includes an Expert Assessment, through which projects are reviewed by external experts using standardized gender and diversity criteria. These criteria are publicly available on the Austrian Film Institute’s website. Applicants may request access to the assessment following the Project Commission meeting.

The Self-Reflection is intended to encourage applicants to engage consciously with issues of diversity and inclusion within their film projects. It serves as a tool for examining creative choices and decision-making processes, helping filmmakers make more intentional artistic decisions.

It forms part of the Austrian Film Institute’s broader efforts to promote equal opportunities within the film industry and to strengthen the representation and inclusion of all people living in Austria, both in front of and behind the camera.

The Self-Reflection was developed by the Austrian Film Institute and informed by established practices at other funding institutions. It is primarily based on the Diversity Checklist of MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, with selected elements adapted from the Canada Media Fund.

The primary criterion in funding decisions is always the artistic quality of the project. The Self-Reflection is provided to the Project Commission as part of the Inclusion Check and is therefore only one of many aspects that may be considered.

No project is approved or rejected on the basis of the Self-Reflection.

No. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers.

The purpose of the Self-Reflection is not to assess whether a project includes a particular number of diversity-related themes, nor is it intended to require applicants to justify the presence or absence of specific content.

The questions are designed to encourage reflection on one’s own creative practice in relation to diversity and inclusion. The Austrian Film Institute is not interested in evaluating which diversity-related decisions are made. The aim is to provide a framework that supports thoughtful consideration of those decisions.

No. The Self-Reflection does not prescribe content and does not limit artistic freedom.

Instead, it encourages thoughtful engagement with questions of diversity and inclusion and may support more nuanced creative decision-making. By drawing attention to diversity-related considerations, it enables filmmakers to make informed and intentional choices. Rather than restricting artistic expression, it can help strengthen and refine it.

Yes. Completion of the Self-Reflection is mandatory for all project development and production funding applications submitted to the Austrian Film Institute.

If you have questions or require clarification regarding aspects of the Self-Reflection that are not addressed in these FAQs, please contact us at: equality@filminstitut.at

Is there a diversity category you feel is missing? Do you find certain questions unclear? Is there wording you disagree with, or do you have more fundamental concerns? We welcome feedback of all kinds—whether positive or critical, substantive or technical.

Feedback plays an important role in helping us improve the Self-Reflection and ensure that it remains relevant to the needs of the industry. By sharing your perspective, you contribute to our ongoing efforts to foster diversity and inclusion across the Austrian film sector.

Please contact us at: equality@filminstitut.at

2. Expert Assessment:

The second part of the Inclusion Check consists of an independent assessment conducted by external experts. Submitted scripts and project concepts for both development and production funding are evaluated against a set of gender and diversity criteria developed by the Austrian Film Institute in consultation with international experts and continuously refined to reflect evolving best practices.

Together, the self-reflection and expert assessment form an additional source of information for the Project Commission’s deliberations.

Through this measure, the Austrian Film Institute seeks to promote equal opportunities within the film industry and to strengthen the representation and inclusion of all people living in Austria, both on screen and behind the camera.

FAQ - Expert Assessment

The Expert Assessment is part of the Inclusion Check. Submitted scripts and project concepts for both project development and production funding are analyzed by external experts using standardized gender and diversity criteria. These criteria were developed by the Austrian Film Institute in consultation with international experts and are continuously reviewed and updated.

In addition to the Expert Assessment, the Inclusion Check also includes the Self-Reflection. As part of the online application process, applicants are asked to answer questions relating to diversity and inclusion within their project.

The Expert Assessment provides a standardized and independent analysis of submitted projects with regard to gender and diversity considerations. It is made available to the Project Commission to ensure that these topics are considered alongside the Commission’s core areas of expertise—screenwriting, directing, production, and distribution—on a structured and consistent basis, and to support an informed qualitative discussion of these issues.

However, the criteria used in the Expert Assessment are not a prerequisite for receiving funding. Funding decisions are made exclusively by the Project Commission.

The analysis is based on established frameworks such as the Bechdel–Wallace Test and the Mako Mori Test, as well as additional inclusion criteria developed for this purpose. These criteria cover four areas: gender equality, freedom from discrimination, freedom from sexism, and diversity. Six key criteria have been defined for each area. Projects that meet at least half of the criteria within a given area are considered inclusive in that category.

A document containing the full set of criteria for both fiction and documentary films is available for download on the Austrian Film Institute website.

No. Sensitivity readings examine individual texts with a focus on the sensitivity of their representations and may identify potentially harmful, stereotypical, or misleading portrayals. The Expert Assessment, by contrast, is a standardized analysis based on predefined criteria.

The Expert Assessment draws on established methodologies developed by the Swedish Film Institute, the British Film Institute (BFI), Eurimages, and international research findings. The criteria were first developed in 2016 and have been regularly revised since then to reflect current knowledge and best practices relating to gender bias, diversity, and inclusion.

The experts hold academic qualifications in film studies with a specialization in gender, equality, or related fields, or possess equivalent expertise. To ensure independence, members of the expert team may not submit projects to the Austrian Film Institute, nor work with filmmakers who are applying to the Austrian Film Institute or otherwise benefit from its funding processes.

The composition of the team seeks to reflect a diversity of perspectives, enabling a broad range of viewpoints to inform the assessment process.

Appointments are not limited to a fixed term. However, each Expert Assessment is subject to supervision and quality-control checks. Experts continue to be commissioned as long as the quality of their work meets the required standards.

Following each submission deadline, the scripts and project materials are forwarded to the expert team. Once the assessments have been completed, they are submitted to the Austrian Film Institute approximately one week before the Project Commission meetings and made available to Commission members.

Alongside the Expert Assessment, members of the Project Commission also receive the Self-Reflection completed by applicants during the online submission process. Together, these two components—the Self-Reflection and the Expert Assessment—constitute the Inclusion Check.

The Expert Assessment is not a measure of artistic quality. Rather, it provides an additional perspective on submitted projects in support of the Project Commission’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion both on screen and behind the camera.

Its purpose is to create a comparable basis for considering diversity and inclusion across all submitted projects and to support awareness of these issues within the Commission’s deliberations. Meeting specific criteria within the Expert Assessment is not a prerequisite for receiving funding. Funding decisions are made exclusively by the Project Commission.

Yes. Applicants may request access to the assessment of their project. To do so, please contact: equality@filminstitut.at

No. The Expert Assessment does not include written commentary on individual projects. All criteria used in the assessment process are publicly available on the Austrian Film Institute website.