IFF (International Film Fund) 2010
Information on Scheme

OBJECTIVE

IFF (“International Film Fund”) aims to encourage Singapore production and post-production companies to assume executive producer or co-producer roles with international partners in films with maximum international marketability and commercial value.

Under this scheme, the Media Development Authority will co-invest, together with local production and/or post-production companies, and other international partners and investors, in feature films that present opportunities for global reach, and returns, under a co-sharing of rights and revenues arrangement. The MDA’s level of participation will be dependent on the scale, scope and merits of the project.

MDA will co-invest up to S$5 million in each selected feature film. The MDA’s level of participation will depend on the scale, scope and merits of the project.

The IFF is offered by the Film, Animation and Publishing Division of the Media Development Authority (MDA).

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

All proposals for this first round of the IFF must be received, using the official application form, no later than 6.00 pm on 12 July 2010, Singapore time.

ELIGIBILITY

Feature film projects that involve at least one Singapore Company (defined below), will be eligible for IFF. These projects include live action, animated and stereoscopic 3D content, and should include meaningful level of activities in development, pre-production, production and/or postproduction that are undertaken in Singapore.

Independent distribution agent Distribution Workshop will participate in the evaluation panel and represent chosen IFF-funded projects as international sales agent. Applications already with sales representation are welcome, but applicants must be open to negotiating territories with Distribution Workshop.

By “Singapore Company”, we mean companies that are incorporated in Singapore with at least 30% ownership by Singaporeans / Singapore Permanent Residents and with central management and control in Singapore. Applying companies must be prepared to co-invest and have an ownership stake in the project. For application details, please refer to the application form on our website at www.smf.sg.

For enquiries, please contact:
Mr Leon Lim
Film, Animation and Publishing
Tel: (65) 9726 3077
Email: Leon_Lim@mda.gov.sg

HOW TO APPLY

Eligible Singapore Company shall submit the application form duly completed, together with the following documents and/or materials to support the evaluation of the proposals:

  1. synopsis, storyline, treatment, character bible, draft script
  2. fully-itemised production budget, covering above-the-line, production and postproduction
  3. production schedule
  4. track record, experience and profiles of above-the-line team, including director,producer,writer, lead cast, etc
  5. management, shareholdings, paid-up capital and ACRA number
  6. level of financing committed to-date
  7. level of distribution secured to-date
  8. written commitment and/or interest from investors, sales agents,and/or distributors
  9. marketing plans
  10. anticipated sales and returns

Applicants must submit 4 hard copies and 1 soft copy of their Proposal to:

RE: MDA International Film Fund 2010
The Director
Film, Animation and Publishing
Media Development Authority
3 Fusionopolis Way
#16-22 Symbiosis
Singapore 138633

ASSESSMENT

All proposals submitted shall be evaluated by the MDA, and industry experts may be invited to assist in the evaluation. Short-listed applicants, together with the partnering production company, will be required to participate in a pitching session to be held in 2010 before an evaluation panel.

Projects shall be assessed on their creative merits, financial returns, as well as economic contributions to Singapore. Specifically, the evaluation shall cover content originality and creativity, producers’ capacity to deliver, and projects’ exportability and exploitability, including:

  1. film concept and treatment
  2. budget versus scale of project
  3. track record and experience of above-the-line team
  4. level of financial commitment from producer, investors, broadcasters and/or distributors
  5. level of distribution secured
  6. plans to market and exploit project
  7. expected sales and returns on investment
  8. value-added aspects and economic spin-offs like direct investment, business spending, job creation, skills/technology up-scaling, intellectual property, new/established partners,international recognition of Singapore as an international co-producing partner, etc

The MDA will inform applicants if their applications have been shortlisted for the pitching session within 4 - 8 weeks after receiving their duly completed application forms and all required supporting documents.

Upon selection by the evaluation panel, the successful applicant shall receive a Letter of Intent from MDA. The successful applicant shall be required to commence production within one year from the date of the Letter of Intent, failing which the IFF funding from MDA shall be withdrawn.

The successful application shall enter into a contractual agreement with MDA and any third parties for each relevant Proposal. This means that a successful applicant wishing to effect any changes to its Proposal will need to seek the prior approval of all parties.

Deliverables and disbursement will be disbursed based on mutually agreed terms and milestones.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

  1. To be eligible, all submissions must be received by 6.00pm on 12 July 2010, Singapore time. Incomplete Proposals will be rejected. Notwithstanding any provision herein, MDA shall have the sole discretion to reject any Proposals.
  2. All materials submitted as part of a Proposal, including audio-visual materials, will not be returned.
  3. All information submitted to the MDA will be used only for the purposes of the Scheme unless otherwise agreed by the applicant.
  4. Proposals are subject to verification and will be declared invalid if they are illegible.
  5. MDA reserves the right not to disclose/discuss its reasons for approving or disapproving any Proposal. MDA may also review, withdraw or suspend the Proposal full or in part if any of the rules and conditions is not met. MDA’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  6. Each successful applicant shall consent, if required, to the use, without compensation, of its name and/or logo, for publicity purposes.
  7. For each selected project: should production not commence within one year from the date of MDA’s Letter of Intent, MDA will withdraw IFF funding for that project.
  8. Applicants agree to indemnify, defend and hold MDA, and all their officers, directors, owners, agents, employees, content and information providers, affiliates, partners, licensors and licensees (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") harmless from and against any and all liability and costs incurred by the Indemnified Parties in connection with any claim arising out of any information or Proposals submitted, including any third party claims for infringement of intellectual property rights or defamation on a full indemnity basis. Applicants shall co-operate as fully as reasonably required by MDA in the defence of any claim.
  9. As the author or producer of the Proposal, applicants hereby warrant to MDA, their employees, agents, assignees and licensees –

a. that the applicant is or will by the time of production or publication of the Proposal be the owner of the copyright in the entire submission;

b. that where copyright ownership is not possible, participants have been or will be granted a copyright licence in respect of such constituent part in a form as fulfillment of this warranty in lieu of ownership of the copyright;

c. that the Proposal will not infringe any rights of any third party;

d. that the Proposal has not previously been published in any form in any part of the world;and

e. that the Proposal is not and will not be defamatory, blasphemous or obscene, or be in any other way unlawful and/or contrary to the laws of the Republic of Singapore.

10. The MDA reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend the Scheme.

11. By submitting a Proposal, applicant companies agree to these rules.

12. Subject to all applicable laws and regulations, these rules govern all aspects of the Scheme and bind all participating applicants.

Click here to download IFF Information Guideline PDF.

Click here to download IFF Application Form.