Opening soon Creative Europe MEDIA 2027 — European Film Distribution: reinvestment fund for film distributors (CREA-MEDIA-2027-FILMDIST)
Creative Europe MEDIA call worth €38 million for cinema film distributors in MEDIA countries, including Romania. The potential fund, up to €1,000,000 per applicant, is calculated from tickets sold in 2026 for non-national European films; reinvestment costs are reimbursed at 70%.
- Who can apply
- European companies active as cinema distributors, for which theatrical distribution is the…
- Total budget
- 38,000,000 €
- Funding amount
- Potential fund of up to €1,000,000 per applicant, calculated from certified admissions to European films…
- Submission period
- 3 December 2026 – 8 April 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time)
Checked against official sources on · funder: European Commission · official source
The guide has not been published yet, but good applications are built before launch. Those who start when the call window opens usually miss out on it.
Who can apply
European companies active as cinema distributors, for which theatrical distribution is the main activity of the company or of one of its divisions. The company must be established in a country that participates fully in the MEDIA strand and be owned, directly or indirectly, wholly or in majority, by nationals of such countries. For the films claimed, it must hold the theatrical distribution rights, actually carry out the distribution, pay the costs directly and have distribution operations in the country concerned. Only applications with a single beneficiary and a single file per applicant are accepted.
What it covers
- Co-production of eligible non-national European films, on the basis of a co-production contract signed during the eligibility period of the funding agreement.
- Acquisition of theatrical and/or online distribution rights, including minimum guarantees, on the basis of a distribution contract signed during the eligibility period.
- Promotion, marketing and advertising for theatrical releases: promotional materials, campaigns (including digital), social media, influencers, PR, optical and digital copies (digitisation and transcoding), subtitling, dubbing and the acquisition of language versions, booking and billing, and invitations for the crew and talent.
- Promotion, marketing and advertising for online releases: coordination with platforms (placement, curated rows, algorithmic optimisation), performance tracking, aggregator costs and online launch events.
- Reinvestment takes place within a project lasting 12–18 months (extension possible through a justified amendment), in a maximum of 12 eligible non-national European films, with the first copyright established in 2023 or later.
We prepare your application before the window opens
- We analyse whether you qualify and under which programme exactly.
- We build the application: business plan, budget, supporting documents.
- We submit during the call window and follow the evaluation.
- We stay with you through the reimbursement file and final payment.
Frequently asked questions
When are projects submitted for European Film Distribution 2027?
The call CREA-MEDIA-2027-FILMDIST opens on 3 December 2026, and the deadline is 8 April 2027, at 17:00 (Brussels time). Evaluation takes place between April and August 2027, applicants are informed in October 2027, and funding agreements are signed in January 2028.
How much can a distributor from Romania obtain?
The potential fund is calculated by multiplying the certified 2026 admissions to non-national European films by a coefficient: €1.8 per ticket for French films and €2.1 for films from Germany, Spain, Italy or any other eligible country. A maximum of 16,000 admissions per film are counted, the minimum fund is €4,500 and the ceiling is €1,000,000 per applicant.
What can the generated fund be reinvested in?
In the co-production of eligible non-national European films, in the acquisition of theatrical or online distribution rights (including minimum guarantees), and in promotion, marketing and advertising for theatrical and online releases. Co-production and rights acquisition may together account for no more than 70% of the direct reinvestment budget.
What percentage of costs does the European Commission reimburse?
Eligible reinvestment costs actually incurred are reimbursed at the rate of 70% set in the funding agreement. If the total of the funds generated by all distributors exceeds the call budget of €38,000,000, each distributor's fund is reduced proportionally.
What conditions must the applicant company meet?
It must be a European company active as a cinema distributor, established in a country that participates fully in the MEDIA strand and majority-owned by nationals of such countries. For the declared films, it must hold the theatrical distribution rights, carry out the distribution, pay the costs directly and have the admissions certified by the designated national authority by the submission date. Only one application per applicant is accepted.
How long does the project last and how many films can be included?
The reinvestment project normally lasts 12–18 months, with an extension possible through a justified amendment. Reinvestment may be made in a maximum of 12 eligible non-national European films, with the first copyright established in 2023 or later.
How long does it take to prepare the application?
It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.
What happens if I do not qualify?
We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.
Next step
We prepare your application before the call opens — Creative Europe MEDIA 2027 — European Film Distribution: reinvestment fund for film distributors (CREA-MEDIA-2027-FILMDIST)
Fill in the form and we will tell you whether you qualify. If you do not qualify under this programme, we will tell you which other one you could apply for — or that there is none, if that is the case.
or call us directly on 0755 167 167
Other programmes
CEF Transport 2026 — infrastructure projects on the trans-European TEN-T network
The seven CEF Transport 2026 calls (CINEA) had €1.1 billion for TEN-T: railways, inland waterways, ports, external borders, road digitalisation, alternative fuels and military mobility. Submission closed on 6 October 2026 at 17:00 CEST.
Call window openEIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 — grants for deep-tech research (Horizon Europe)
The European Innovation Council funds high-risk deep-tech research: €0.5–4 million per project, 100% as a lump sum. Themes: energy harvesting, healthy ageing and cognitive AI (DeepRAP). Budget: €96 million; deadline 28 October 2026, 17:00 (Brussels).
Call window openEIC Accelerator 2026 — grant and investment for deep-tech start-ups and SMEs
EIC Accelerator funds deep-tech start-ups and SMEs with a grant of under €2.5 million (up to 70% of costs) and an investment of €1–10 million. The 2026 budget is €634 million. The last deadline in 2026 for the full proposal is 4 November 2026.