A strong application can secure funding for your film, but how do you write one? What belongs in a synopsis or artistic statement, and what should you leave out? What do selectors expect from visual materials? What's important to highlight in your bio?
How do you describe a project that’s still in development, with its many uncertainties — or when you know your topic so well you want to include all the background context? How do you keep your proposal clear, focused, and compelling despite all these unknowns?
Selin Murat, head of the IDFA Bertha Fund and a former producer, and Mariia Ponomariova, a Ukrainian director and creative producer, will discuss the dos and don’ts of strong funding applications and illustrate their advice with examples. Join this session to learn how to craft your best application and move your film forward.
Participants:
Selin Murat, Selin Murat
Moderator:
Mariia Ponomariova
Turkish-French Selin Murat co-founded Parabola Films in Canada in 2010, creatively producing acclaimed documentaries for over a decade. She transitioned to film and industry programming, as Head of Industry at RIDM and then as Markets Manager at IDFA, consulting filmmakers for international film initiatives throughout. Since January 2025, she has been the executive director of the IDFA Bertha Fund. IBF provides funding opportunities and year-round support schemes for documentary filmmakers living and working in IBF-supported regions in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Oceania, and the Caribbean.
Mariia Ponomariova is a Ukrainian film director, creative producer, and film industry professional. Mariia studied at Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema & Television in Kyiv and the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. Fiction and documentary films Mariia worked on were screened at DokLeipzig, IDFA, Sarajevo FF, Sheffield DocFest, Chicago IFF, Krakow FF, Leuven ISFF, DokuFest, Go Short ISFF, and more. Her debut feature documentary Nice Ladies had an international premiere at HotDocs in 2024 and received a Special Mention at DocudaysUA IHRFF. Mariia now works as a Content Manager of the CineCoPro Conference of Munich IFF and a Senior Consultant at the Documentary Association of Europe. She is a member of the Dutch Directors Guild, the Documentary Film Association of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian and European Film Academies.
