Gender Incentives – Subsidies

In the reporting period, the Austrian Film Institute introduced gender incentives aiming to increase the number of female filmmakers in the Austrian film sector; Filmfonds Vienna revised its Guidelines on Promotion of TV-production, taking gender balance into consideration.

1. In 2016, the Austrian Film Institute passed a package of measures aiming to increase the number of female filmmakers within the industry. The core measure of the package is the Gender Incentive. If the production funding of a project entitled to reference funds is contracted and the project shows a significant percentage of women as head of departments within the areas of production, direction, script, camera, editing, sound, costume design and production design, the production company will additionally receive an automatic funding of EUR 30,000 (USD 32,500). The additional amount can be reinvested in the script- and/or project development of new projects with an appropriate share of female participation. Further, the reference film funding amount will be raised by 10 per cent, if a project hits the target value according to the funding guidelines and acquires a title to automatic funding on a performance basis. This additional funding money is at the producer's disposal within the framework of the common reference film funding regulations to be reinvested into new projects with female participation in at least one of the three head departments production, direction, and script writing. In addition, the calculation as part of the production funding application must depict the share of the calculated staff costs directed to female and male filmmakers.

2. As a measure directed at the promotion of gender equality within the TV-funding budget, the guidelines on the "Promotion of TV-productions" were revised in 2015. For instance, a production is only eligible to the maximum funding amount if at least one of the core positions (director, screenplay, production) is held by a woman.