Films on the Move

The "Films on the Move" opportunity is part of the Creative Europe Programme's MEDIA strand, designated as CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMOVE. It is a grant program aimed at enhancing the distribution of non-national European films across Europe. The total budget allocated for this initiative is €21,000,000 for the year 2026. The program invites applications specifically from sales agents, acting as the sole applicants responsible for coordinating the distribution campaigns with multiple theatrical distributors. Eligibility criteria require that applicants work with at least seven distributors, ensuring that engagement occurs with partners from lower audiovisual capacity countries.

The grant funding is tailored to facilitate promotional and distribution campaigns for theatrical releases, though it also supports online platforms. Eligible films must meet specific conditions, including being completed after 2022 and having a duration of at least 60 minutes. Additionally, films must have originated from MEDIA-participating countries with a significant financial contribution coming from these countries.

The application process is structured with two distinct cut-off dates: March 19, 2026, and July 16, 2026. Applicants must submit their proposals electronically, adhering to the guidelines specified in the call document. Each application must demonstrate a collaborative approach, including letters of intent from distributors that detail their promotional budget commitments.

In terms of funding amounts, individual grants likely range from €200,000 to €1,000,000, depending on various factors, including the scale of distribution efforts and the number of territories involved. The grant is intended to cover specific costs associated with promotion, including marketing campaigns, festival participation, and audience outreach initiatives.

Only single beneficiary applications are permitted, ensuring a focused administrative responsibility while facilitating broader collaboration in distribution efforts across the European market. The program aims to boost the visibility and commercial viability of high-quality European films, fostering a sustainable and inclusive film industry that promotes cultural diversity.

Overall, "Films on the Move" stands as a significant initiative for advancing European cinema's reach and impact through coordinated marketing and distribution strategies across borders, empowering sales agents and distributors to connect culture with wider audiences.

The EU Funding Opportunity is the Creative Europe Programme (CREA) call named "Films on the Move" (CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMOVE). It is a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) and uses a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a multiple cut-off deadline model.

The call aims to encourage and support the wider distribution of recent non-national European films. It seeks to motivate sales agents and theatrical distributors to invest in the promotion and adequate distribution of these films.

The expected results include the development of pan-European theatrical and/or online distribution strategies for non-national European films, increased investment in their promotion and distribution to expand audience reach, and the development of links between the production and distribution sectors to improve the competitive position of these films in the global market.

The activities to be funded are campaigns for the pan-European theatrical and/or online distribution of eligible European films, coordinated by the film's sales agent. Applications should present strategies to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally respectful industry, as well as gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness.

The call was published on September 30, 2025. There are two cut-off dates for submitting applications: March 19, 2026, and July 16, 2026, both at 17:00 (Brussels time). The evaluation periods are March-June 2026 for the first cut-off and July-October 2026 for the second. Information to applicants will be provided in September 2026 for the first cut-off and January 2027 for the second. The signature of the grant agreement is scheduled for December 2026 for the first cut-off and April 2027 for the second.

Conditions for application include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, other eligibility conditions, financial and operational capacity and exclusion, submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also specified. Details for all these conditions are described in the call document.

The call document and annexes include the call document itself, standard application form (CREA MEDIA), information on independence and ownership (CREA MEDIA), international film sales agreement, a PDF with film(s)/work(s) information generated from the Creative Europe MEDIA Database, and letters of intent from distributors detailing Promotion and Advertisement (P&A) costs. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the CREA MGA. Additional documents include CREA Annual Work Programmes, CREA Regulation 2021/818, EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The total budget for the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMOVE call is 21,000,000 EUR for the year 2026.

There are 9 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

To start the submission process, applicants must access the Electronic Submission Service via the Funding & Tenders Portal. They need to select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement.

For help, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.

In summary, this EU funding opportunity, "Films on the Move," aims to boost the distribution of non-national European films by providing financial support to sales agents and theatrical distributors. The grant supports promotional campaigns for theatrical and online distribution, encouraging a more sustainable, inclusive, and diverse film industry. The application process involves two cut-off dates, and detailed guidelines are available in the call document and related annexes. Applicants can also find partners through the Funding & Tenders Portal and seek assistance from various support services.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are sales agents and theatrical distributors.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) and CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The call specifies activities coordinated by the sales agent of the film, implying that a single applicant or a consortium led by a sales agent is required.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call focuses on the distribution of "non-national European films," suggesting that the geographic eligibility is primarily for entities within the European Union or countries associated with the Creative Europe Programme. The specific eligible countries are described in the call document.

Target Sector: The target sector is culture, specifically the film industry, with a focus on the distribution and promotion of European films.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on "non-national European films," implying eligibility for countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on distribution and promotion, indicating projects that are in the commercialization or scale-up phase.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMOVE call is EUR 21,000,000. The funding range for individual projects is variable and will depend on the specifics outlined in the call document.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support the pan-European theatrical and/or online distribution of eligible European films.

Application Stages: Based on the indicative timeline, there are multiple stages: submission, evaluation, information to applicants, and signature of the grant agreement. The call has two cut-off dates, implying at least two rounds of evaluation and selection.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity, titled "Films on the Move," is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA) aimed at encouraging and supporting the wider distribution of recent non-national European films. It seeks to incentivize sales agents and theatrical distributors to invest in the promotion and distribution of these films across Europe, both in theaters and online. The call has a total budget of EUR 21,000,000 and operates with multiple cut-off dates for submissions: March 19, 2026, and July 16, 2026.

Eligible applicants are sales agents and theatrical distributors who can apply for CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) or CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG]. The funded activities are campaigns for the pan-European theatrical and/or online distribution of eligible European films, coordinated by the film's sales agent. Applications should detail strategies for sustainable and environmentally respectful practices, as well as ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness.

The application process involves submitting proposals through the Funding & Tenders Portal, adhering to the guidelines and templates provided, including a standard application form, information on independence and ownership, an international film sales agreement, and letters of intent from distributors. The evaluation process includes assessing admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and award criteria as described in the call document. The indicative timeline includes evaluation periods, information to applicants, and grant agreement signatures following each cut-off date.

For assistance, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Additional resources, such as the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk, and Online Manual, are available to guide applicants through the submission process. This call aims to develop pan-European distribution strategies, increase investment in promotion and distribution, and improve the competitive position of European films in the global market.