Frequently asked questions

Here you can find our current guidelines

Here you find the current Film Funding Act

Yes. The regulations are binding according to precisely defined specifications and must be observed for ALL subsidised productions, both in selective funding and within the framework of the automatic ÖFI+ funding programme. This applies regardless of whether a Green Bonus is applied for or not.

With the addition of guideline 6.1.7 by the Austrian Film Institute, clear and binding regulations have been firmly established since 2021. These have been continuously developed over the last few years.

The further development over the last 6 years has taken place in collaboration with the film industry and has been firmly established in practice.

Further information can be found here:

Funding Information on green filming at the ÖFI: Green filming funding – Österreichisches Filminstitut

• • Selectively funded project developments
  • Selectively funded productions (feature films, documentaries and animated films), including reference funding.
  • Funded productions that are financed or co-financed through the automatic funding programme ÖFI+.
  • For cinema releases (exploitation funding) ÖFI+.

Here you will find all relevant information on green filming:

FOCUS Green Filming: Green Filming – Österreichisches Filminstitut

Funding information on green filming at the ÖFI: Green filming funding – Österreichisches Filminstitut

Please contact the Green Filming Department with any questions:

Contact: greenfilming@filminstitut.at

All general information, collaborations and news can be found here:

FOCUS Green Filming: Green Filming – Österreichisches Filminstitut

The 5% of the financing (Green Bonus) will be retained until the project is completed and, at the latest, until the mandatory final report, the ‘Final Green Report’, has been reviewed.
Subject to a positive review of the Final Green Report with at least 22 of 26 mandatory criteria fulfilled and verified, the Green Bonus will be released.

If the specified minimum number of mandatory criteria cannot be fulfilled, the 5% Green Bonus will not be paid out.

No. Applying for the Green Bonus is not mandatory.

No. The Green Bonus is only available when applying for automatic funding programme ÖFI+.

All relevant information can be found here:

Funding information on green filming at the ÖFI: Green filming funding – Österreichisches Filminstitut

We kindly request that you contact the Green Filming Department as soon as possible: greenfilming@filminstitut.at

If, after receiving funding from the BMWKMS, automatic ÖFI+ funding including Green Bonus is applied for, the regulations of the Austrian Film Institute regarding green filming must be applied.

All information on this can be found here:

Funding information on green filming at the ÖFI: Green filming funding – Österreichisches Filminstitut

We kindly request that you contact the Green Filming Department as soon as possible: greenfilming@filminstitut.at

The evidence for each criterion can be found in the respective criteria catalogue.

The catalogues of criteria  can be found in the ZIP-file available for download here:

Funding information on green filming at the ÖFI: Green filming funding – Österreichisches Filminstitut

The interim report for production projects can be submitted as soon as filming has been completed. This provides the opportunity to approve the passage in the credits of the current project.

Without review of the interim report, a mention in the credits is not possible and cannot be approved.

If the interim report is rejected during review, all missing documents can be submitted later, up until the final report. In this case, the passage in the credits cannot be approved.

The Green Filming Department requests TIMELY contact and submission.

In the case of last-minute submissions or deadlines, we will endeavour to prioritise the project. In the event of a high workload or absences, we cannot guarantee that the review will be carried out in a timely manner.

The template for the final report can be used for the interim report.

This forms the basis for the final report and prepares the documents in such a way that they can be checked.

The interim report must only be submitted if it is to be included in the credits. Without checking, approval for the credits is not possible.

Please note that the interim report is NOT considered a ‘preliminary report’ or ‘information report.’ We also ask that you refrain from submitting an ‘interim report’ that does not contain all the documents just to see how far you are with it. The Green Filming Department does not have the capacity for this.

If you have any questions, please contact the Green Filming Department at: greenfilming@filminstitut.at

The Green Film Consultant’s task is to prepare, implement and report on the project in accordance with the regulations of the Austrian Film Institute. In the event of a change of personnel, the following point must be taken into account:

See the answer to the question (below): “Is it necessary to include a Green Film Consultant on the crew-list?”

Yes. However, it should be noted that they must be familiar with the conditions in the respective country.

In co-productions, at least one Green Film Consultant with appropriate proven and recognised training must be consulted. (See also: ‘Which Green Film Consultant training courses are recognised?’)

As things stand at present, a GFC is often appointed for each of the co-production countries. This is particularly the case for co-productions between Austria and South Tyrol. This is not absolutely necessary if the Green Film Consultant is familiar with the conditions and regulations in Austria and can comply with them.

In cinema film promotion and in coordination with the Austrian Film Institute, the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Film and Television Agency FFA in Germany, the following training courses are recognised as Green Film Consultant* training courses:

Austria:

Evergreen Prisma Academy: Green Film Consultant*:

https://www.evergreenprisma.eu

Germany:

IHK Munich and Upper Bavaria: Green Consultant* Film & TV IHK

https://www.ihk-akademie-muenchen.de/csr-nachhaltigkeit/green-consultant-film-tv/

Stuttgart Media University: Green Consultant*

https://www.zertifikat-green-consulting.de/

Switzerland:

HSLU Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts: Green Consultant*

https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-film-kunst/weiterbildung/kurse-seminare/green-consultant/

Upon application and agreement with the Association of Green Film Consultants* Austria, a maximum daily fee of €600 is currently recognised and eligible for funding.

Yes, the Green Film Consultant must be included in the crew-list as a crew position.

The consultant must be involved and integrated into the project from the outset of the contract. This must be evidenced by a written agreement.

Changes are only possible in exceptional cases according to the contract and must therefore be communicated in writing to the project leaders. The rules laid down in the funding contract under point 11.2 apply here in the same way as for all other crew units:

11. 2. If, during the production of the film covered by the contract, significant changes occur in the conditions on which the conclusion of the contract was based, in particular in the documents described in terms of content (script/shooting concept), personnel (both in terms of personnel and labour law), staffing, assessed own contributions (ILVs) and financing, as well as in events that delay or make impossible the realisation of the supported film or that entail or require a change in the agreed purpose of the support or in the agreed requirements or conditions, the grant recipient must immediately notify the Film Institute in writing (see also point. “Ancillary Agreements”).

In principle, yes, provided that the paid work as Green Film Consultant*, including the mandatory reporting, is the main focus and does not compromise the quality of this work.

However, the Austrian Film Institute requests that care be taken to ensure that no additional activities are undertaken that do not correspond to the job description and training of the Green Film Consultant, such as the role of ‘set representative’ unless specific training has been provided for this. This must be communicated transparently when submitting the funding application.