European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films opens call for production support

The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF) has opened its 2025 call for production support, to enable the completion of films or the development of new projects, while fostering co-productions with the fund's contributing countries, including the UK. 

The ESFUF initiative, which is supported by the UK Global Screen Fund, was launched in 2023 as a unique solidarity action to support Ukrainian filmmakers and relies on the collaboration and financial contributions from 19 European ministries and national film funds, members of the EFAD association, as well as the association itself. 

In 2024, the fund evolved into a production support program and has now been renewed for a third consecutive year and is endowed with a budget of €1.5 M, thanks to the contributors‘ renewed commitment, including the most recent joiner the Polish Film Institute.

This call for applications, which will be the only ESFUF call for 2025 to allow substantial grants to be awarded, is open to long-length cinematographic works belonging to the genre of fiction, documentary or animation.

Projects should be co-produced between Ukrainian production companies and companies established in ESFUF-contributing countries, including the UK, and be submitted before the start of the film shooting.

Fiction and animation projects may be eligible for support of up to €200,000, while documentaries may receive up to €90,000. The deadline for applications is 30 June 2025.

In the past two years, 57 grants have been awarded for the development, production or finalisation of Ukrainian works.