How To's of International Co-production and Financing

A global economy means global opportunities. Everyone from studios, to mini-studios, to big production companies and platforms are producing and shooting abroad. Why? Not only does shooting abroad help filmmakers get access to great locations, but it also allows them access to soft money, which minimizes the risk of their investors. While this might sound like something only big corporations can have access to, in reality any independent producer can tap into the same opportunities – if they have the knowledge and the right contacts.

In this interactive class, you’ll learn about different financing models: European vs. American vs. a hybrid model. You’ll also learn about different financing sources – like government and state grants, supra-country grants, tax incentives and shelters – and how they can or cannot work with each model.

The instructor for this class is Martin Rosete, a Spanish-born and Spanish Academy Award nominated filmmaker who’s lived in the US for the past 12 years. Martin will use case studies from his own experiences in filmmaking as examples, to demonstrate the how to’s, pros, and cons, of working in both Europe and the US, and what it’s like to get financing from both places.

The class will cover in detail:

• The Script / Understand why it is crucial to find the right script. Every story is unique, and so are its needs. As such, not all projects can be co-financed internationally. 

• Packaging / Also known as learning the art of compromise. When you get soft money from a country, it usually comes with some rules and restrictions. You may need to bring some actors from one or other territory to fulfill the rules of the grant. 

• Shooting and Post-production / The same rules as packaging apply here. Usually if you get a grant from a country, you will have to spend most of that money in that country, and in citizens from there, with a few exceptions.
• Sales and Release / Having a certain nationality attached to your film can be an asset. Learn how you can increase your chances of selling a film in Europe (and getting a bigger offer) can increase exponentially.

What You Will Learn:

• European vs. American vs. hybrid financing models and financing sources
• How to find the right script (or tailor your own) to boost opportunities for international financing
• Rules and restrictions that often come along with international grants, with regards to packaging, shooting, and post-production
• How to increase your chances of selling a film in Europe (and getting a bigger offer)