DEENTAL - ACP programme

Context

The DEENTAL-ACP programme was established by the CNC in response to the European call for proposals “Support for ACP Audiovisual Co-production”, launched for the benefit of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). This call aimed to strengthen the structure of the film and audiovisual sectors in ACP countries by facilitating access to existing co-production funds, improving the circulation of works from these countries, and contributing to the development of skills among emerging talents and professionals.
In 2022, the European Commission renewed this call, allowing the DEENTAL-ACP programme to continue until the end of 2025.
The objectives of the DEENTAL-ACP programme were multiple:

• To encourage international co-productions involving producers established in Europe and ACP countries;
• To support the emergence of new generations of creators and producers in these regions;
• To promote the development of ambitious works capable of competing internationally;
• To strengthen the professionalization of industry stakeholders and foster professional networking dynamics;
• To contribute to better dissemination of works to local, regional, and international audiences.

Partners of the DEENTAL-ACP programme

The DEENTAL-ACP Bonus scheme was implemented in collaboration with the partners of the two funds to which the Bonus applied, namely:

• Institut français for the Aide aux cinémas du monde;
• The Burkinabè collective Génération Films (until 2024), Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Film Fund Luxembourg, Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles (SODEC) in Quebec, Téléfilm Canada, TV5MONDE, France Télévisions, the SACD, SACD Belgium, and SACD Canada for the Fonds pour la jeune création francophone.

From 2022 onwards, the CNC partnered with two African organizations to implement the DEENTAL-ACP program: the Kenyan non-profit NGO DOCUBOX (East African Documentary Film Fund) and the Senegalese Fund for the Promotion of the Film and Audiovisual Industry (FOPICA).
The programme also relied on a network of stakeholders based in ACP countries (institutions, festivals, private and public funding bodies, civil society organizations, professionals, etc.), which has continued to grow over the years and has played a crucial role in the programme’s success.

Outcome

The DEENTAL-ACP programme contributed to the structuring of the audiovisual sectors in ACP countries by facilitating access for projects from these countries to two funding schemes and by strengthening incentives for co-productions among ACP countries. From 2020 to 2023, 45 projects were awarded a DEENTAL-ACP Bonus, including 9 in addition to pre-production support from the Aide aux cinémas du monde and 36 in addition to production support from the Fonds pour la Jeune Création Francophone.
Among the supported projects, several films have had successful trajectories:

• Banel et Adama, directed by Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy, was selected for the official competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The film, which traces the fate of a young couple confronted with the weight of tradition, resonated internationally.
• Pepe, directed by Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, was presented in the official selection at the 2024 Berlinale. This international co-production (Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, France) received the Silver Bear for Best Director.
• Le Fardeau, the second feature-length documentary by Central African director Elvis Ngaïbini, premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The film was also selected at several international festivals, including Cinéma du Réel in Paris (2024) and Message to Man in Saint Petersburg (2024).
• Le Fleuve n’est pas une frontière, a feature-length documentary by Senegalese filmmaker Alassane Diago, premiered at the 2022 Locarno Festival in the Critics’ Week section. The film was also selected at IDFA 2022 and FESPACO 2023.

In addition to the financial support granted to projects, the DEENTAL-ACP programme distinguished itself through capacity-building actions, such as:

• DEENTAL Séries Workshop: a “writing residency” format workshop for authors and producers from ACP countries, organized jointly by the CNC and the Séries Mania festival.
• DEENTAL at Cannes: a support and professional networking programme for producers from ACP countries during the Cannes Film Festival.

Description

The DEENTAL-ACP financial bonuses were automatic bonuses reserved for projects supported in production by the Aide aux cinémas du monde and/or the Fonds pour la jeune création francophone, provided that the project met certain eligibility criteria (see full description).
It was therefore not possible to apply solely for the DEENTAL-ACP Bonus.

Eligibility Criterias

• The director of the project must be a national of an ACP country.
• The project must be a co-production involving at least three companies established in at least two ACP countries.
• If additional countries are involved, the number of ACP countries must always be equal to or greater than the number of non-ACP countries.

The eligibility conditions listed above are additional to the eligibility requirements of the funding schemes to which the bonuses apply.
The DEENTAL-ACP financial bonus is granted to a production company established in an ACP country within the framework of an international co-production involving at least three companies established in at least two ACP countries. The bonus is paid directly to the ACP producer who signs the DEENTAL-ACP agreement (designated producer).

Bonus Amount

The financial bonus may reach up to 100% of the amount of support granted by the Aide aux cinémas du monde and/or the Fonds pour la jeune création francophone.
The two bonuses available through the DEENTAL-ACP programme (for the Aide aux cinémas du monde and the Fonds pour la jeune création francophone) can be combined, up to a maximum of €150,000 per project.
Furthermore, ACP bonuses awarded by other beneficiary funds of the ACP-EU Culture programme are also cumulative, still within the €150,000 bonus limit per project.

Expenditure Requirement

The entire bonus must be spent in ACP countries.

List of ACP countries

Africa : Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, South Africa, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Note : South Africa is eligible as a co-producer, but not as a bonus applicant.

Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

Pacific: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

This document has been prepared with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of the Organisation of ACP States. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the CNC and may under no circumstances be considered as reflecting the position of the European Union.

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