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Film financing hub

Film Financing

Where the money for film and TV comes from in 2026, who is putting it in, and on what terms. Guides, live briefings and the people closest to the deals, in one place.

Find film financiers by territory, genre and budget. Free queries, no sales call.

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Film-Financing
360K+

companies tracked across 100+ countries

3M+

executives, with the role they hold today

1,118

film finance decision makers in Europe, found by one VIQI search during our production financing briefing

[number]

active film financiers in VIQI

The guide

How film financing works

An independent film is rarely funded by one source. Producers stack two to four: equity from investors, pre-sales to distributors, tax incentives, soft money from public funds, and loans secured against all of the above. The order of that stack decides who gets paid back first.

The mix has shifted. Studio money now backs about 4% of US releases, while production in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America keeps growing. Private equity slates, public incentives, brand money and co-productions have moved in to fill the gap.

Read the full guide

A typical capital stack

Senior debt Repaid first
Gap and mezzanine Repaid second
Equity Repaid last
Soft money and incentives Usually not repaid
Order of repayment, top to bottom.
How the money works

Every source of film money, explained

Film money comes from four kinds of backer, and each one expects something different back. Start with the group you're talking to.

From investorsThey own a share and get paid last.

Equity, slate and private equity

Investors buy a share of the film or a slate of films, and get paid back last.

Read more

Co-financing and co-production

Two producers, two countries, two sets of incentives on one film.

Read more

Crowdfunding

Which platforms work for film, and what a campaign can realistically raise.

Read more
From lendersThey lend against signed contracts and get paid first.

Banks and debt

Loans secured against pre-sales, tax credits or a distributor's guarantee.

Read more

Gap financing

A loan against the territories a film hasn't sold yet.

Read more

Completion bonds

The guarantee lenders ask for before they release a single dollar.

Read more
From buyersDistributors pay for rights before the film is made.

Pre-sales

Distributors pay for rights before the film exists, and that contract becomes collateral.

Read more

Minimum guarantees

The fixed sum a distributor commits upfront, and how lenders value it.

Read more
From governments and fundsMoney you usually never pay back.

Soft money

Public funds, grants and incentives that never need paying back.

Read more

Grants and film funds

Who gives grants to independent filmmakers, and what they want in return.

Read more

Tax incentives

Rebates and credits by country, and what the headline rate really pays.

Read more
Then

How everyone gets paid back: the recoupment waterfall

Lenders first, investors next, profit last. The order is agreed before the shoot, and it decides who carries the risk.

Read more

Also: what pro rata pari passu means

By project type

Funding by format

A feature, a series and a documentary get funded in very different ways. Each format has a usual first source of money, and the rest of the plan is built around it. Here's where it starts for each one.

TV series

Money usually starts withThe commissioner's licence fee

A broadcaster or streamer commissions the show and pays a licence fee. The producer covers the remaining deficit with tax credits, co-producers and distribution advances.

  • Licence fee
  • Tax credits
  • Co-production
  • Distribution advance
Read the guide

Reality TV

Money usually starts withA broadcaster or platform commission

Unscripted shows are usually commissioned and funded close to full cost. The value a producer keeps sits in the format, which can be sold to other countries.

  • Commission
  • Format sales
  • Brand partners
Read the guide

Documentary

Money usually starts withGrants and broadcaster pre-buys

Documentaries draw on film funds, foundations and impact investors, with a broadcaster or streamer pre-buy often closing the budget.

  • Grants
  • Pre-buys
  • Impact funds
  • Streamer licence
Read the guide

Short film

Money usually starts withGrants and crowdfunding

Budgets are small and sales are rare, so shorts lean on arts grants, crowdfunding and private backers, with festivals as the route to a first feature.

  • Grants
  • Crowdfunding
  • Private backers
Read the guide

Animation

Money usually starts withCo-production and broadcaster pre-sales

Animation takes years to make, so producers spread the cost across co-producers in several countries, broadcaster pre-sales and incentives, with licensing income later.

  • Co-production
  • Pre-sales
  • Tax incentives
  • Licensing
Read the guide

Micro-drama

Money usually starts withPlatform commissions

Short vertical series made fast and cheap for app platforms. Most are commissioned by the platform or made on a revenue share.

  • Platform commission
  • Revenue share
  • Brand money
Read the guide
Who funds films

Who is putting money into film right now

Lists of active financiers by type and by market, updated from VIQI.

By type
Film investors and financiers list New
Who is actively funding projects now, from VIQI data.
How to find film investors
Where to look, and how to close the conversation. Film financing companies worldwide Independent film financing companies Gap financing companies
By market
USA Los Angeles UK India Canada Australia Asia Pacific Middle East China

More markets: Brazil Germany Spain Netherlands Belgium Switzerland Sweden Norway Finland Singapore Indonesia Hong Kong

Need names for your project?

Tell VIQI the budget, genre and territory. It returns the financiers, funds and decision makers who match, with their recent deals.

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Private Briefings

Private Briefings on film finance

Closed-door sessions with the people writing the cheques. Members watch in full.

LeaderSpeak

LeaderSpeak: film financiers on the record

Reports

Reports and playbooks

Playbook

The Indie Film Financing Playbook

The order to raise money in, the documents financiers ask for, and the mistakes that stall a first film.

Download free
Case studies

Raised with Vitrina

Latest deals
FAQ

Film financing questions

How does film financing work?

Producers combine several sources to cover a budget: equity, pre-sales, tax incentives, soft money and loans secured against those contracts. A recoupment waterfall, agreed before the shoot, sets the order in which each party is repaid.

What is gap financing?

A loan that covers the difference between the value of pre-sales already signed and the full budget. The lender relies on a sales agent's estimate of the territories still unsold, and is usually repaid before equity investors.

What is the difference between pre-sales and pre-buys?

In a pre-sale, a distributor licenses a finished film's rights in a territory before it is made, and the producer keeps ownership. In a pre-buy, a broadcaster or platform pays upfront for rights and often takes more control over the project.

How do I find film investors?

Start with investors who have backed films at your budget and in your genre in the last two years. VIQI filters financiers by territory, genre, budget and deal history, and shows who to contact first.

Which banks finance films?

A small group of banks and specialist lenders run entertainment desks. They lend against pre-sale contracts, tax credits and distributor guarantees rather than against the film's hoped-for profits. Our bank page lists the active ones.

How much of a film budget can tax incentives cover?

Headline rates run from about 20% to 40%, with a few programs higher. The real figure is lower, because the rate applies only to qualifying spending in that country.

Find the money for your next project

Search active financiers, funds and co-production partners by territory, genre and budget.

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