Feature Development Overview

We provide six different funding avenues for feature film development:

2.    The Early Development Fund (EDF) provides funding for development of fiction feature films up to a cumulative amount of $40,000 (including any funds received at SDF level). Applications generally shouldn’t exceed $20,000 for each tranche of development funding requested. In any given financial year we aim to approve up to 12 new project applications for EDF funding and to resource those existing EDF funded projects that continue to show demonstrable progress.

3.    The Advanced Development Fund (ADF) supports dramatic feature projects in advanced development to a cumulative amount of $70,000 (including any funds received at SDF or EDF levels).  You don’t need to have accrued $40,000 (or any NZFC development funding whatsoever) if the screenplay is genuinely at an advanced stage and approaching market-readiness as determined by our Development and Sales and Marketing Staff.  Please note that ADF is not available to documentary projects – go to 6. for information on documentary development.  

  o    A project that has reached $70,000 in development funds may apply for up to $20,000 at the discretion of the CEO. Please note that the CEOD is a discretionary fund and is only called upon in exceptional circumstances. We view this avenue as a contingency for when a clear plan does not translate into actuality. It should not be counted on as part of your development plan. 

5.     The NZFC Board (Board) will consider applications for advanced development funding from producers of projects that have met a cumulative $90,000 in development funding on that project. Applications for development funding can only be made to Board upon the recommendation of the CEO and the Development team.

6.     The NZFC provides funding for development of feature-length theatrical documentaries up to a cumulative amount of $15,000. Applications generally shouldn’t exceed $5,000 for each tranche of development funding requested.  It is important to note that documentary development and production funding is not a key focus for us – we are principally concerned with fiction film projects.

Projects already in development with the NZFC
The recommended caps on development funding have been lowered. We acknowledge that there may be projects already in development with us that have exceeded recommended caps –please consult our Development Coordinator for guidance in the first instance. 

Producers international travel assistance
Producers should now apply separately to the Producers International Travel Assistance program to assist with market travel expenses with projects in advanced development. In the past we have considered market travel as an element of ADF applications. We now have this separate facility available for market and international travel with the primary aim of assisting producers to establish contacts towards financing and packaging for their projects.

For further details on how to apply please read our Feature Film Development Guidelines below.  Word versions of the coversheets for each funding avenue can be found on the relevant page.