[European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/index_en)

April 23, 2026

€34,000,000 total for 2026; award size varies by company market performance and reinvestment plan

Supports cross-border distribution, investment, and promotion of recent non-national European films to strengthen their market presence and competitiveness.

--- ## Description This funding opportunity aims to enhance the trans-national distribution of recent non-national European films by supporting increased investment in their production, acquisition, promotion, and both theatrical and online distribution. The initiative is designed to strengthen links between the production and distribution sectors, ultimately improving the competitive position of non-national European films within the European market. The grant operates in two phases: first, a potential fund is generated for each applicant company based on its market performance; second, the fund must be reinvested in co-production, acquisition of distribution rights, and promotional activities for eligible non-national European films. --- ## Due Dates - April 23, 2026: Full application deadline (by 17:00 Brussels time) --- ## Funding Amount - Total budget for 2026: €34,000,000 - Individual award amounts are performance-based and must be reinvested in eligible activities (co-production, rights acquisition, promotion, marketing, and advertising of non-national European films) - Funding is provided as a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) under the Creative Europe Programme --- ## Eligibility - Applicants must be legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries as defined in the [call document](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/wp-call/2026/call-fiche_crea-media-2026-filmdist_en.pdf). - Typically, eligible applicants are European film distribution companies with a proven track record in the distribution of non-national European films. - Applicants must demonstrate financial and operational capacity. - Admissions for each declared territory must be certified using the provided template, signed, and uploaded as a PDF (no password protection). - Detailed eligibility and admissibility conditions are outlined in the [call document](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/wp-call/2026/call-fiche_crea-media-2026-filmdist_en.pdf). --- ## Application Process - Application is single-stage and must be submitted electronically via the [EU Funding & Tenders Portal](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMDIST?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=12&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate). - Required documents include: - Completed application form (see [template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/temp-form/af/af_crea-media_en.pdf)) - Certified admissions document for each territory ([template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/temp-form/af/certified-admissions_crea-media-filmdist_en.xlsx)) - Information on independence and ownership control ([template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/temp-form/af/information-on-independence-and-ownership-control_crea-media_en.xlsx)) - PDF with information about film(s)/work(s) generated from the Creative Europe MEDIA Database - Proposals must adhere to the page limits and layout specified in Part B of the application form. - No password protection on uploaded documents. - Evaluation period: May–September 2026; applicants notified in October 2026; grant agreements signed January 2027. --- ## Additional Information - An online information session will be held on March 10, 2026, at 14:30 CET ([details and slides here](https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/online-info-sessions-creative-europe-media-and-cross-sectoral-2026-2025-10-14_en)); no registration required. - Admissions certification for each territory is mandatory—see [2026 national correspondents list](https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/document/1219714f-388f-49c9-8c42-96a05a3a6275_en). - For help, contact your local [Creative Europe desk](https://culture.ec.europa.eu/resources/creative-europe-desks) or the [European Education and Culture Executive Agency](mailto:EACEA-FILM-DISTRIBUTION@ec.europa.eu). --- ## External Links - [Call page and application submission](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/CREA-MEDIA-2026-FILMDIST?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&order=DESC&pageNumber=12&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate) - [Call document (eligibility, conditions, templates)](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/wp-call/2026/call-fiche_crea-media-2026-filmdist_en.pdf) - [Application form template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/temp-form/af/af_crea-media_en.pdf) - [Certified admissions template](https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/temp-form/af/certified-admissions_crea-media-filmdist_en.xlsx) - [Creative Europe desks](https://culture.ec.europa.eu/resources/creative-europe-desks) - [Online info session & slides](https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/online-info-sessions-creative-europe-media-and-cross-sectoral-2026-2025-10-14_en) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Details | |----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General Enquiries | [European Commission Contact Page](https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/contact_en) | | Creative Europe Desks | [Find your local desk](https://culture.ec.europa.eu/resources/creative-europe-desks) | | EACEA (Film Distribution) | [EACEA-FILM-DISTRIBUTION@ec.europa.eu](mailto:EACEA-FILM-DISTRIBUTION@ec.europa.eu) | | Phone (European Commission) | +32 2 299 11 11 |

European Film Distribution - European Commission

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