FAQ: IDFA Bertha Fund

General

• Can I apply for IBF Classic - Development and IBF Classic - Production & Post-production with the same project at the same time?
• If my project is selected for funding in one of the IBF categories, can I apply with the same project for funding in the other categories as well?
• If my project is rejected in one of the IBF categories, can I still apply with the same project for funding in the other categories?
• Can I submit multiple projects?
• What kind of projects does the Fund support?
• When should my application be submitted?
• How do I fill out the Entry Form?
• What is a Project Description?
• What is a Topic Summary / Motivation?
• How do I send the requested materials?
• What formats do you accept for a trailer, edited sequence, rough-cut or previous work?
• When will I receive confirmation of my application?

IDFA Bertha Fund - Classic

• Who is eligible to apply?
• What kind of projects does the Fund support?
• Can I apply with the same project twice in the same category?
• What lengths of a project do you accept?
• Can I apply with a project that is part of a study's curriculum?
• Can I apply with a documentary film series?
• What are the selection criteria for documentary projects?
• Which forms do I have to fill out?
• Can I submit a short video with my personal motivation?
• What (audio-)visual material should I submit for development or (post-)production?
• In which language can I send the application?
• When will the results of the selection be known?

IDFA Bertha Fund - Europe

• Who is eligible to apply?
• What possibilities are there for producers from countries that can also participate in Eurimages?
• What kind of projects are eligible to be submitted for IBF Europe - Minority Co-Production funding?
• What are the selection criteria for the IBF Europe categories?
• Which forms do I have to fill out?
• In which language can I send the application?
• When will the results of the selection be known?

General

Can I apply for IBF Classic - Development and IBF Classic - Production & Post-production with the same project at the same time?
No, you cannot apply for Project Development and Production with the same project for the same selection round.

If my project is selected for funding in one of the IBF categories, can I apply with the same project for funding in the other categories as well?
Yes, you can apply for funding in all the IBF categories with your project, if the project meets the eligibility criteria for that category.

If my project is rejected in one of the IBF categories, can I still apply with the same project for funding in the other categories?
Yes, you can still apply for the other IBF categories even if your project has been rejected for funding in one of the categories, if your project meets the eligibility criteria for that category.

Can I submit multiple projects?
If you are a producer, you can submit and be attached to multiple projects.

If you are a director, you can submit and be attached to multiple projects BUT:

• only one project can be selected for IBF funding;
• if you are a director of a project that is already selected for IBF funding, you cannot submit another project of which you are a director.

What kind of projects does the Fund support?

The IDFA Bertha Fund is looking for creative documentary films. In a creative documentary film, the director gives form to his or her subjective vision of reality in a creative manner. Please read more about creative documentary films in IDFA’s Mission Statement. We do not apply rigid criteria, but judge each project on its own merits.

However, the Fund does not support documentary films about art forms (applied arts or portraits about artists), cultural heritage and cultural traditions.

When should my application be submitted?
All required documents and materials per category should be in our office at 23:59 (CET) on the given deadline date.

How do I fill out the Entry Form?

• You can fill out the entry form in the MyIDFA section of our website. If you have registered before, you can login. If not, you first have to register. You will then receive a password by email. Go back to MyIDFA and login with your email address and password, then click on Professionals and then My entries. After that, please choose the IDFA Bertha Fund entry form.
• Once you have filled out the complete form, you can submit it at the bottom of the page.
• You can only submit the form if you have filled in all obligatory information.
• You can only submit the form once. If you find any inconsistencies in your application after submitting, please e-mail them to idfaberthafund@idfa.nl.

What is a Project Description?
A project description should include: story structure, character description and artistic approach.

• Story structure: Describe the anticipated story structure and narrative trajectory, or potential character arcs for your project. Discuss your access to the story and characters.
• Character description: Describe the main characters extensively and the potential character arcs for your project. Also discuss the access to the characters.
• Artistic approach: How are you going to tell this story? Describe your creative vision for the finished project – its visual look and feel. Explain your intended use of cinematic language or any particular artistic approach that informs the storytelling. If applicable, mention any creative elements and assets, interactive elements, new technologies or non-traditional media that you intend to utilize. Explain how these elements will enhance the experience and interaction between viewers and the world of the story.

What is a Topic Summary / Motivation?
In the Topic summary/Motivation, you can describe why this topic is important, timely or relevant. Things to consider include: Why do you want to make this film? Why are you the best person to make a film about this? Explain the cultural or social relevance and context for the topic, and why this project is timely or urgent. Give detailed information about the topics, issues, themes, challenges, stakes, or questions that your project will cover. All applications have the possibility to submit their motivation by a small video instead of text. If you prefer to make use of this possibility, the link can be pasted in the entry form.

How do I send the requested materials?

• When you submit the entryform, we’ll receive it automatically.
• Links to Vimeo (with the password, if required) or Youtube can be filled out in the entryform OR can be sent in an email to idfaberthafund@idfa.nl. If emailed separately, we still need the link on the day of the deadline at the latest.

• Additional documents for IBF Europe can be uploaded in the entryform.

What formats do we accept for a trailer, edited sequence, rough-cut or previous work?

• A link to Vimeo or a link to Youtube. NO mov/avi or any other file which we have to download.
• NO Powerpoint presentations.
• Please don’t send unedited rushes of your project. Most of the time they are not representative of the end result and are not helping your application. In the case you don’t have a trailer or rough-cut, make a selection of the material and try to make an edited sequence.

When will I receive confirmation of my application?

• Once your application is complete, we’ll send you a confirmation. Please note that it takes a while to process all the projects we receive, especially around the time of the deadlines.
• If we have questions or if we are missing any information, we will contact you, but please make sure your application is complete.

IDFA Bertha Fund - Classic

Who is eligible to apply?
For applications in the Development category the director of a project is eligible to apply. The entry form must be submitted by the director.

For applications in the Production & Post-production category, a producer or director attached to the project is eligible to apply. Projects without a producer will also be accepted. The entry form can be submitted by the director or producer of the project.

To be eligible to apply, the director, and if applicable the producer, must meet the requirements stated below.

Requirements for the director(s):
• All directors attached to the project should have the nationality of a country as defined on the IBF Classic Country List and should live and work in this country.
• The Fund supports both starting and experienced directors.

Requirements for the producer(s):
• The main producer must be based in a country on the IBF Classic Country List.
• If a producer from another country is attached to the project, then we still expect the producer from an IBF-focus country to be involved as main producer. In this case, we need a co-production agreement after being pre-selected.

Can I apply with the same project for the same category twice?
No, you can only apply with the same project once per category.

What lengths of a project do you accept?
We accept short-, mid-, and feature-length documentary films.

Can I apply with a project that is part of a study's curriculum?
No, unfortunately the Fund does not accept projects that are part of a study's curriculum.

Can I apply with a documentary film series?
No, unfortunately the Fund does not accept applications that are documentary film series.

What are the selection criteria for documentary projects?

• Quality of the content of the documentary
• Cinematic qualities of the project
• Originality of the idea, the subject, the story, or the perspective towards the subject or story
• Importance of the subject
• Quality of the visual material sent with the project
• The situation of documentary production in the region or country
• Previous work of the director

Which forms do I have to fill out?
For the IBF Classic categories it will only be necessary to complete an entry form on MyIDFA before the deadline. In addition to basic contact and project details, the entry form includes a synopsis (max. 400 words), a biography and filmography of the director(s) and producer(s), a project description (max. 1,500 words), a topic summary/motivation (max. 1,000 words), and a time schedule and planning for the development or production of the planned documentary film. A project description should include story structure, details about protagonists, and artistic approach.

Pre-selection form
Only after being preselected, it will be necessary to complete an extra form, which will be sent by email after the pre-selection has been made. This form includes the following:

• Fundraising strategy: describe the strategy for raising the additional funds necessary to complete the project.
• Extensive budget, including specifying on which items you are going to spend the contribution.
• Finance plan: how are you going to finance the total budget?
• How can the fund give extra support to improve the project (contacts, advice, mentors)?
• Co-production agreement (only when a production company based in a non-IBF focus country is attached to the project)
• Optional: max 1 page with extra information about the content of the project, if not yet provided in the entryform, such as more information on characters or background.

Can I submit a short video with my personal motivation?
All applications have the possibility to submit a short video by the director introducing him/herself and explaining his/her motivation to the project. If you prefer to make use of this possibility, the link to the vimeo or youtube link can be pasted in the entry form.

What (audio-)visual material should I submit for development or (post-)production?
Please make sure to add or enable subtitles of your material in case the spoken language is not English!

Development category

• Project Development applications will only be accepted when accompanied by original visual material of the project. Material from other resources that serve merely as style example, is NOT accepted. If available, a teaser or selected research material from the project is recommended IF representative of the style. If no audiovisual material is available, photos or a visual presentation can also be presented through a Vimeo or YouTube link.
• In addition to the above, Project Development applications should also be accompanied by one previous work, preferably representative for the style of the director. This previous film, although required for the jury’s selection process, is viewed only if necessary in making decisions regarding the selection process.

Production & Post-production category

• Production applications will only be accepted when accompanied by a trailer, demo, edited sequence or other audio-visual material of the project  with a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes.
• Projects that have finished the shooting phase will be considered as  Post-Production applications. In this case applications have to be accompanied by an edited sequence or a selection of the rough cut of around 20 minutes.
• In case your material is longer than 20 minutes, please indicate which part we need to watch or make a selection of 20 minutes which you think is most representative and/or complementary to the end result.
• Please don’t send unedited rushes of your project. Most of the time they are not representative of the end result and are not helping your application. In the case you don’t have a trailer or rough-cut, make a selection of the material and try to make an edited sequence.

In which language can I send the application?
We need all applications in English, except applications from francophone Africa and Haïti, which can be in French.

When will the results of the selection be known?
A pre-selection committee will evaluate all submissions and will make a pre-selection within 6 weeks after the deadline. The applicants of the pre-selected projects will receive a more extensive application form, which must be completed and returned within a week. If applicants do not comply with this requirement, projects will be automatically rejected. The pre-selection form includes among others an extensive budget, finance plan and production schedule. These applications will then be sent to the final selection committee, whose findings will be announced around 3 months after the deadline.

IDFA Bertha Fund - Europe

Who is eligible to apply?
This category is for documentary projects that have a director from a developing country (see IBF Europe Country List) and are realized through international co-productions in which at least one European producer from a MEDIA sub-program country and one non-European producer from a country on the IBF Europe Country List is involved. The application has to be submitted by the European co-producer and should involve a creative element, like a key crew member or postproduction service, from Europe.

What possibilities are there for producers from countries that can also participate in Eurimages?

• as of 2022, the restrictions towards the participation of Eurimages-members in projects have been lifted. An eligible co-production structure should consist of one co-producer (applicant) from a country participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme and one co-producer from a country on the IBF list of eligible countries (that is not participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme)
• Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia are MEDIA sub-program countries (they can participate in the Creative Europe Media Programme) and therefore are eligible to apply for IDFA Bertha Fund – Europe (as the European co-producer). These countries do not qualify anymore to apply for IDFA Bertha Fund – Classic.

What kind of projects are eligible to be submitted for IBF Europe - Minority co-production funding?

• creative documentary projects of a minimum length of 60 minutes with international distribution potential
• documentary projects in any stage of production
• documentary projects finalized in September 2024
• documentary projects to be shot in one of the countries as defined on the IBF Europe Country List
• documentary projects with a global marketing and distribution strategy

Before applying, please check the regulations carefully.

What are the selection criteria for the IBF Europe categories?

For more information on the selection procedure and contracts download this PDF.

Which forms do I have to fill out?
Co-production:

• An entry form. In addition to basic contact and project details, the entry form includes a synopsis (max. 400 words), a biography and filmography of the filmmakers, a project description (max. 2,000 words) and a topic summary/motivation (max. 1,000 words). A project should include: story structure, character description and artistic approach.
• A complete production budget (fill out tab 1 + 2), using the Excel sheet which is available here.
Before applying, please check the Checklist for IBF Europe Entry carefully to see what other additional materials you will have to send to complete your application.

In which language can I send the application?
We need all applications in English.

When will the results of the selection be known?
Three months after the deadline of the selection round we will publish the results on the website and you will receive an email about the result of your project.

The IDFA Bertha Fund is supported by Bertha Foundation, Creative Europe Media, JustFilms / Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Netherlands Film Fund, ASN Bank and Special Friends+.