What we do
Film still: We Will Not Fade Away, dir. Alisa Kovalenko
Empowering creative documentaries and filmmakers
The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) is the only fund in the world dedicated solely to stimulating and empowering the creative documentary sector in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania (IBF regions). An integral part of IDFA’s Filmmaker Support department, the IBF contributes to a space where filmmakers can develop their projects according to their creative vision, not only according to the demands of the market. By doing so, different documentary narratives and styles can have much-needed room to flourish.
Documentary films supported by the IBF express the artistic vision of filmmakers, using strong visual treatments to tell compelling stories that have the potential to reach a global audience. The Fund takes risks on unknown and seasoned filmmakers alike, supporting their breakthrough from marginalized positions to the most respected platforms.
Grants are offered for the development, production, and distribution of documentary film projects by talented filmmakers from IBF regions. In addition to financial support, the Fund offers a range of activities to empower filmmakers throughout the creative and production processes, including tailored consultancies, participation in IDFA’s talent development programs, and access to IDFA’s markets.
IBF funding schemes in 2023
The IDFA Bertha Fund welcomes submissions through a variety of funding schemes.
IDFA Bertha Fund Classic
IDFA Bertha Fund Classic offers direct support to filmmakers from and living in IBF regions, for which the Fund maintains a list of eligible countries (see button below). The IBF Classic funding scheme consists of two categories: Project Development and Production & Post-production.
Project Development: Contributions to the development of a project may be used for research, development of a script, and/or production of a fundraising teaser. The maximum contribution is €7,500.
Production & Post-production: Contributions may be used for all forms of production and post-production—from shooting to editing, sound design, and everything else that is essential in readying films for screening on television, in cinemas, and at film festivals. The maximum contribution is €25,000.
Distribution: New in 2023, the IDFA Bertha Fund offers distribution support to strengthen the distribution of IBF-supported documentary films. With a distribution grant, filmmakers can distribute their films in their own countries or finance the launch of their films at major film festivals.
Submissions to the Fund are assessed by an international selection committee. Consisting of members who are active in the documentary film industry in various capacities, the selection committee is responsible for taking certain selection criteria into account (see link below).
IDFA Bertha Fund Europe
IDFA Bertha Fund Europe aims to stimulate the collaboration between independent European producers and producers from IBF regions. European minority co-producers of documentary films from IBF countries (see button below) can apply for a production and post-production grant. By focusing on funding films through European partners, the Fund is able to increase the support to these films, to strengthen the creative participation of the European partners, and to stimulate the circulation of documentary films from IBF regions in a world that is mostly dominated by Western media. Specific attention is paid to the stimulation of European producers from countries with limited national co-production funding schemes, or from countries that are not yet fully involved in international co-productions.
IBF Europe – International Minority Co-production: A contribution may be used toward production and post-production costs. The amount awarded per project is €40,000.
IBF Europe – Promotion Support: A contribution for documentary films that received a co-production grant through IBF Europe and have their world premiere at a major film festival. This support may be used for the communication around the world premiere to increase a film’s visibility and reach and to create new distribution opportunities. The maximum contribution for promotion is €7,500.
As with IBF Classic, submissions to the Minority Co-production category are assessed by an international selection committee with members actively involved across the documentary industry. Read the selection criteria via the link below. For the Promotion Support category, submissions are reviewed by two members of the IDFA staff according to certain selection criteria (see button below).
NFF+IBF Co-production Scheme
The NFF + IBF Co-production Scheme is a collaboration between the Netherlands Film Fund and the IBF aimed at supporting the realization of international documentary co-productions between Dutch producers and producers from IBF countries. Projects with Dutch co-producers which have previously received a contribution for development,
production, or co-production from the IDFA Bertha Fund are eligible for this funding scheme. Applications are submitted via the Netherlands Film Fund, after which the IDFA Bertha Fund and the Netherlands Film Fund are jointly responsible for the selection of projects. In 2023, the maximum contribution per project was €50,000.
Film still: Embodied Chorus, dir. Mohamad Sabbah & Danielle Davie
More than just a fund
Talent development
Most countries where the IDFA Bertha Fund is active have little to no film training, a non-existent film industry, or a limited industry focused on commercial fiction films. The Fund aims to support filmmakers in their creative process and, wherever necessary, help them bring their work to the next level.
For 16 years, the IDFA Bertha Fund has offered its selected filmmakers a range of training opportunities to stimulate their development and strengthen their documentary projects.
IDFA Project Space Carefully tailored to filmmakers’ individual needs, IDFA Project Space offers first- or second-time directors the combined experience of project workshopping and longer-term organic support, all under the guidance of experienced mentors. The in-depth talent development program takes place over four months, from June to September, with two online modules and one in-person week in Amsterdam.
IDFAcademy Taking place every November during IDFA, IDFAcademy gives emerging international filmmakers the opportunity to meet a broad spectrum of highly esteemed documentary professionals willing to share their knowledge of the industry. During this intensive training program, participants gain up-to-date market knowledge and learn first-hand about the current trends in documentary filmmaking.
Additional support
IDFA’s training programs do not always correspond to the production schedule of a project, or the experience of the director, so the Fund offers filmmakers additional year-round support through its staff or network of international experts. This type of tailored support can include feedback on story development or a rough-cut, advice on festival strategy, co-production, distribution, and other subjects relevant to the production of a film.
Photo: Producer Michelle Ferris Dobles of Like a Flame Lit on a Dark Night during IDFAcademy 2023
Professional support
The IBF has an extensive network within the international film industry—both in IBF regions and the rest of the world. Whenever necessary, the Fund connects supported filmmakers to its network in order to enhance opportunities for the realization and distribution of supported projects. As part of its professional support, the Fund invites all directors of IBF-supported documentary films in the IDFA selection to attend the festival. Coming to IDFA is an important moment in the international career of a documentary film, and the effects are felt widely: these films also contribute to the cultural diversity of IDFA and play a significant part in attracting audiences to the festival.
Additionally, all IBF-supported directors and producers selected for IDFAcademy and IDFA Forum are invited to attend the IDFA festival, where they can expand their network and increase their knowledge of the documentary industry.
IDFA Industry Program
IDFA offers an extensive Industry Program for all attending documentary professionals, including IBF-supported filmmakers. As part of the program, Industry Talks & Sessions share knowledge on current developments in the industry, as well as exploring larger trends and urgent discussions. Filmmaker Talks engage renowned documentary directors in conversations covering their work and creative methods. Press & Industry Screenings highlight films from the IDFA program, and Round Table Consultancies deep dive into on subjects such as handling film rights, impact producing, distribution, funds, and much more.
IDFA Forum
Every year, several IBF-supported projects make it into the selection of IDFA Forum, the landmark international co-production and co-financing market, and one of the most influential meeting places for filmmakers, creators, and producers working on creative documentary films and new media projects. IDFA Forum facilitates encounters through four market platforms: the Producers Connection, Forum Pitch, Rough Cut Presentations, and IDFA DocLab Forum. During the Forum Pitch and Rough Cut Presentations, projects are presented to an industry delegation of film professionals from around the world, consisting of funders, co-producers, sales agents, and distributors. During the Producers Connection, selected producers present their project to independent co-producers whose countries offer funding for minority co-productions.
Docs for Sale
Most IBF-supported films are selected for IDFA’s different program sections and included in Docs for Sale, the sales and distribution market where international distributors, festival programmers, and television buyers view the new documentary film harvest. At Docs for Sale, films have increased opportunities to be picked up at other international platforms and find other distribution possibilities. Consequently, the documentary films showcased at Docs for Sale often carry on to great success, reaching audiences around the world.
IBF films around the world
Documentary films realized with the support of the IDFA Bertha Fund are premiering and screening at international festivals and showing on television worldwide. Meeting with international acclaim and winning a variety of awards, more and more of these films find an audience through theatrical distribution and grassroots screenings.
Nevertheless, there are significant hurdles to overcome. Screening opportunities for documentary films in countries where the IDFA Bertha Fund is active are often limited, and there is no regular distribution network in place. For this reason, filmmakers need to find alternative forms of distribution and outreach to be able to show their films in their own countries.
When it comes to world premieres, the launch of a film is an important starting point for a film’s circulation, and being selected for a major festival promises exposure that can generate interest from distributors in other territories. However, producing a good launch at a major festival is costly and requires a strong communication and publicity plan to maximize the exposure.
To strengthen the visibility of IBF-supported films even more, the IDFA Bertha Fund launched new funding categories for distribution and promotion support in 2023. The aim is to strengthen the selected films’ world premieres, and importantly, enable filmmakers to bring their films back to their own countries and connect with audiences.
Film still: Our Land, Our Freedom, dir. Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu