Navigating international co-funding for Ukrainian projects

Ukrainian producers working through wartime disruption are increasingly looking beyond domestic finance to build sustainable international partnerships. Co-production can bring together public funds, broadcasters, streaming platforms, private investors, sales agents and cultural institutions while allowing a project to retain its Ukrainian identity.

For international partners, Ukraine offers experienced creative teams, distinctive stories and production capacity developed across feature film, television, animation and documentary. The practical challenge is converting that interest into a financeable structure: one with clear rights, realistic budgets, eligible expenditure and a delivery plan that works across several legal systems.

Australian producers and commissioners have a useful point of comparison. The local screen sector regularly combines Screen Australia support with state agency funding, broadcaster investment, private finance and international presales. A Ukrainian project seeking Australian participation needs to understand both this layered model and the specific concerns of partners operating in a distant but culturally attentive market.

The strongest applications treat co-funding as a relationship-building process rather than a single grant submission. They arrive with a compelling creative package, a transparent risk assessment and a precise explanation of what each partner contributes. That preparation gives overseas companies confidence while protecting Ukrainian creative leadership.

Start with a financeable creative package

Before approaching foreign funds, define the project’s format, audience and stage of development. A feature film, limited drama series and documentary will attract different partners, eligibility rules and delivery expectations. Prepare a logline, synopsis, director’s statement, producer biography, visual references, budget top sheet, finance plan, schedule and rights statement.

The package should make the Ukrainian core immediately visible. International partners are rarely looking for a generic project that could come from anywhere. They want a story with a strong point of view, supported by a production team capable of delivering it. Ukrainian locations, language, history and lived experience can be commercial assets when presented with clarity rather than reduced to marketing decoration.

A pitch deck should also explain what has already been secured. Development money, broadcaster interest, festival recognition, attached talent and letters of intent can materially change the perceived risk. If a project has several episodes, include a series bible and episode outlines; if it is a documentary, show access, contributors and the ethical basis for filming.

Map the funding ecosystem before making approaches

International co-financing usually combines several sources rather than relying on one overseas investor. Potential components include national film funds, regional screen agencies, public service broadcasters, private equity, gap finance, presales, distribution advances and in-kind production support. A useful finance plan shows which elements are confirmed, pending, targeted or speculative.

Research eligibility before sending a pitch. Some funds require a producer from a qualifying country, a minimum percentage of local spend, cultural tests, a treaty or official co-production agreement. Others support development only, require a broadcaster attachment or prioritise projects with a confirmed distribution route. A project can be creatively attractive and still be ineligible for a particular scheme.

Industry networks can widen the search beyond familiar European contacts. For example, African producer networks may be relevant to Ukrainian producers developing stories that connect migration, displacement, climate, conflict or global communities. The principle is broader than one region: look for alliances where the project’s themes, format or audience create a genuine reason to collaborate.

Choose partners for capability, not just cash

A co-producer should bring something specific to the structure. That contribution may be access to a public fund, a broadcaster relationship, local production management, post-production facilities, legal expertise, sales representation or audience development. A company that offers only a vague promise to “open doors” is not equivalent to a partner with a track record and a defined route to finance.

For Ukrainian projects, the right partner also needs a credible understanding of operating conditions during the war. Discuss insurance, travel, crew safety, power continuity, location access, equipment movement and contingency planning at an early stage. These are production realities, not side notes. A serious partner will respect them and help translate them into a workable international schedule.

Cultural compatibility matters as much as corporate scale. Australian companies may use an informal, direct style—“Let’s see if we can make the numbers work, mate”—but the underlying expectation is disciplined follow-through. A Ukrainian producer should leave meetings with named responsibilities, deadlines and written next steps, while allowing enough time for internal approvals and public funding cycles.

Build a structure that protects creative ownership

The finance plan should show how investment converts into ownership, recoupment and profit participation. Decide whether the project is an official treaty co-production, a non-treaty arrangement, a service production or a looser investment partnership. Each model affects eligibility, tax treatment, rights, approvals and the ability to access local incentives.

Negotiate territory and term carefully. A foreign partner may seek rights in its home market, a language territory or a worldwide licence. Those rights should match the partner’s actual contribution. Avoid granting broad, perpetual rights simply to close a small funding gap, particularly when future sales, remakes, educational use and archive value may be significant.

The agreement should address chain of title, approvals, credit, delivery materials, music and archive clearances, publicity, dispute resolution, termination and replacement of a defaulting producer. It should also identify who controls key creative decisions. A Ukrainian voice should not disappear from a project because an overseas partner contributes a minority share of the budget.

Obtain specialist legal and accounting advice before signing. International structures can involve withholding tax, currency conversion, value-added tax, payroll obligations and rules about where expenditure occurs. A clear contract protects the relationship by making difficult issues visible before production begins.

Make the Australian connection practical

Australia can be a valuable partner for Ukrainian projects with a clear audience pathway. Screen Australia, state agencies such as Screen NSW and VicScreen, broadcasters including ABC and SBS, private production companies and local distributors each operate under different mandates. Australian participation is usually strongest when the project offers a meaningful creative or production role rather than simply requesting money.

Location and market logic should be specific. A Melbourne post-production house, a Sydney-based sales company or an Australian documentary producer may contribute expertise that cannot be substituted by a general “Australian partner” label. If the project has themes relevant to Ukrainian communities in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide, explain how that audience could support outreach, screenings, education or broadcast.

Australian buyers also pay close attention to format, completion risk and discoverability. A limited series needs a concise episode engine and a credible route to commissioning; a documentary needs access and editorial safeguards; a feature needs a festival, sales or platform strategy. Present the project in plain English, use Australian dollars alongside the base currency where helpful, and show how exchange-rate movements are managed.

Local industry culture rewards preparation and direct communication. Meetings may begin with coffee in Carlton, Surry Hills or Fortitude Valley rather than a formal boardroom, yet the follow-up will still need a sharp deck, budget and rights summary. Relationships matter, but they become finance only when supported by documentation.

Use visibility and market activity strategically

A pitch video can help international decision-makers connect with the project before a formal meeting. Keep it short and focused: introduce the creative premise, the director’s approach, the Ukrainian context, the audience and the specific partnership being sought. Avoid turning the video into a general statement about the national industry when the project itself should remain central.

Industry showcases and curated lineups can provide social proof. UCC’s work in connecting Ukrainian companies with international professionals is described in UCC’s first year, offering useful context for producers assessing how collective promotion can support individual projects. A recognised platform can make an initial email more credible and create opportunities for meetings with commissioners, sales agents and co-producers.

Attend markets with a target list rather than collecting business cards. Identify which companies have financed comparable titles, which commissioners acquire Ukrainian or Eastern European content, and which sales agents handle the relevant genre. Send a tailored meeting request that states the project’s stage, budget range and desired outcome.

Follow up with a concise note containing the deck, finance plan and agreed next step. Record who has reviewed the materials, what concerns were raised and when to return with an update. International finance often advances through several short conversations rather than one decisive pitch.

Manage risk, reporting and delivery from the beginning

A wartime production must distinguish between risks that can be mitigated and risks that require structural change. Build contingencies for security interruptions, travel restrictions, damaged infrastructure, unavailable locations, crew displacement, internet outages and currency volatility. A second-unit plan, remote editorial workflow or alternative location can reassure partners when supported by costed assumptions.

Insurance and completion planning deserve early attention. Some conventional policies may exclude war-related events or impose strict conditions on travel and filming. Discuss specialist cover, completion bonds, security protocols and force majeure language with advisers who understand the territory. Do not promise an insurance solution until a broker or insurer has confirmed it in writing.

International funders will expect regular reporting. Establish a calendar for cost reports, cash-flow updates, production milestones, rights clearances and delivery materials. Keep accounting records that separate eligible local expenditure from non-qualifying costs. This discipline makes audits easier and helps prevent disputes over whether a contribution was used as agreed.

The partner relationship should continue after the first financing decision. Share meaningful progress, acknowledge delays early and bring problems with proposed solutions. International co-producers are more likely to support a second Ukrainian project when the first collaboration demonstrated transparency, resilience and respect for agreed responsibilities.

Turn a first partnership into a lasting bridge

The best co-funding relationships are built around shared editorial ambition rather than financial necessity alone. Before signing, discuss how each company defines success: festival selection, broadcast reach, platform performance, cultural impact, educational use, awards or long-term catalogue value. Different definitions can create friction if they remain unspoken.

Projects should also leave room for future exploitation. A Ukrainian-language version, an international version, educational materials, podcast extensions or regional remakes may require separate approvals. Make sure the rights structure allows sensible development without forcing the producers back into a complete renegotiation.

There is growing international curiosity about Ukrainian stories, yet attention can be temporary. Producers should present projects as durable works with broad human and artistic relevance, not as opportunities that depend solely on current headlines. Guidance on why overseas companies are looking to collaborate is captured in international co-producers, where creative value and production expertise sit alongside the urgency of the moment.

For Australian partners, a successful collaboration can create a practical cultural link between communities, broadcasters and independent producers. For Ukrainian teams, it can preserve skilled employment, expand distribution and strengthen the industry’s ability to operate under pressure. The result should be a partnership that remains useful after one title is delivered.

Prepare the project as if every serious partner will test the budget, rights and schedule line by line. Then make the creative case impossible to overlook. Bring your project to UCC with a focused package, an identified funding gap and a clear account of what an international partner can genuinely contribute. Use that foundation to approach Australian and global producers with confidence, precision and a plan for shared success.