The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk has set up a special ‘Emergency Fund for Filmmakers’ who are suffering danger as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Over past days, significant financial contributions have been pledged by Germany’s key national and regional film funding bodies (€100K), with other contributions coming from French multimedia author society LaScam* and individual donors.
The German funds include Filmförderungsanstalt FFA, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, HessenFilm und Medien, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MFG – Medien-und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, MV Filmförderung and nordmedia die Mediengesellschaft und Filmförderung für Niedersachsen und Bremen.
The ‘Emergency Fund for Filmmakers’ aims to help filmmakers with small grants of €500, €1,000 or €1,500 to assist in covering temporary relocation expenses, legal and administrative fees (visas etc.), to cover initially minor but necessary expenses incurred during the current situation, says ICFR. Filmmakers at risk can reach out directly to the Emergency Fund through contact@icfr.international
Decisions on the grants are taken by the ICFR Board. ICFR Board members represent its 3 founding partners, the European Film Academy, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
“The escalating situation in the Ukraine, means that the film community across the region, needs to be supported not just by words, but by aid,” says EFA Chairman and ICFR Board member Mike Downey, “The ICFR has, in a very short space of time, created a fund which will help directly film practitioners confronting danger due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. We urge film makers at risk to reach out and we encourage the international film community to donate and join us in our efforts and to support us as we try to be of use to our colleagues in such terrible times.”
The ICFR mandate includes across the board support through lobbying the international film community for cases of filmmakers at risk, which applies automatically to almost every Ukrainian filmmaker in Ukraine today, as well as to the many openly and vocal anti-war filmmakers of Russia and Belarus. “We urge film professionals and organizations around the world to join us in our efforts and to support us as we try to be of use to our colleagues in such terrible times,” ICFR underlines.
If you wish to support the work of the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, you can donate to:
Bank account: Stichting ICFR
IBAN: NL 02 TRIO 0320 0470 40
BIC/SWIFT: TRIONL2U
Payment description: “Donation ICFR Emergency Fund for Filmmakers”
