the market leading cashflow financier for film and television in Australia and New Zealand, having provided cashflow finance to over 360 film and television projects since inception.
We can cashflow the Australian federal Producer Offset, PDV Offset and Location Offset and Incentive, the Australian state-based PDV and Attraction Incentives, the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate and the United Kingdom Film Tax Relief. We also cashflow Distribution Guarantees, International Presales, Sales Agents Advances and Licence Fees.
Fulcrum is not a traditional bank. We are a specialist industry lender. Core to our values is our commitment to fostering sustainable local screen industries in Australia and New Zealand that are hospitable to both established and emerging screen producers. This means we work with you in minimising your financing costs and maximising the money available to be spent on screen.
Fulcrum is genre, format and budget agnostic. Our experience is broad and ranges from low to high budgets; includes drama and documentary; covers feature film, traditional broadcast and video on demand; encompasses live action and animation; and extends to international co-productions, both official and unofficial.
Fulcrum’s focus is not on subject matter or anticipated market performance. Providing the project meets the relevant eligibility criteria, we tailor our services to provide flexible and favourable cashflow arrangements that will help you bring your project to the screen.
Production finance is a collaborative process. At Fulcrum, it’s our mission to be reliable, flexible and producer-friendly.
Fulcrum’s unparalleled experience as a cashflow financier in the Australian and New Zealand screen industries has provided us with an unmatched understanding of what is involved in financing the Producer Offset, Post-Digital and Visual Effects Offset and the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate.
Our core services include cashflowing the Australian federal and state rebates, including the Producer Offset Loan, PDV Offset Loan, Location Offset Loan and Incentive Loan against the state-based PDVs and Attraction Incentives. Additionally, we provide loans for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate and the United Kingdom Film Tax Relief.
We also cashflow Distribution Guarantees, International Presales, Sales Agents Advances and Licence Fees.
The Producer Offset is an Australian federal government tax rebate for producers of eligible feature films and other formats, including television. Administered by Screen Australia, you can find out about eligibility criteria on their website.
Fulcrum has been cashflowing the Producer Offset since inception. Our process has been honed to make collaborating with us as easy and efficient as possible. Our unmatched experience with cashflow finance in Australia, coupled with our strong industry connections, means we are uniquely positioned to help producers devise the best possible financing structure for their project.
Generally, producers ask Fulcrum to cashflow 90% of their anticipated Producer Offset rebate. In some cases, Fulcrum may lend above 90%.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. You will need a draft production budget, draft QAPE spreadsheet, draft production schedule, draft finance plan and a project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel) to enable Fulcrum to consider lending against the Producer Offset on your project.
Administered by the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR) is a rebate for New Zealand based producers of eligible feature films and other formats, including television.
New Zealand productions that have significant New Zealand content or are official co-productions are eligible for a cash rebate of 40% of the project’s qualifying New Zealand production expenditure (QNZPE). See the New Zealand Film Commission website for full criteria and details.
Fulcrum’s standard model is to loan up to 90% of the anticipated NZSPR. In some cases, Fulcrum may lend above 90% of the anticipated NZSPR.
Our knowledge of the NZSPR regime, our understanding of the requirements of production in New Zealand and the depth of our industry relationships are unmatched. This means that nobody is more equipped than Fulcrum to provide New Zealand producers with cashflow solutions that are informed, flexible and tailored to the particular requirements of their production.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. You will need a draft production budget, draft QNZPE breakdown, draft production schedule, draft finance plan and a project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel) to enable Fulcrum to consider lending against the NZSPR on your project.
The federal Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Offset is a refundable tax offset for productions that utilise Australian based facilities to deliver post-production services, regardless of where the production was filmed or where the producer is based. See full details for the federal PDV Offset Loan eligibility criteria.
This rebate is set at 30% of eligible post-production spend, of which Fulcrum usually cashflows 90% of the anticipated spend. In some cases, Fulcrum may lend above 90%.
State PDV rebates also exist in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. These incentives entitle eligible productions to a 10% rebate on qualifying PDV spend in the relevant state. If Fulcrum is providing a loan in relation to the Producer Offset, the federal PDV Offset or the Location Offset and Incentive on your project, we can also consider cashflowing any of the state-based PDV rebates.
Fulcrum has harnessed its unparalleled experience in cashflowing the federal and state PDV Offsets and its strong on-the-ground relationships with the relevant agencies to develop an in-depth understanding of how these incentives operate at all stages – from application to rebate. Off the back of this, Fulcrum has established streamlined and responsive processes to provide producer-friendly finance that is structured to meet your project’s requirements.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. You will need a draft production budget, draft PDV qualifying expenditure breakdown, draft production schedule, draft finance plan and a project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel) to enable Fulcrum to consider lending against the PDV Offset on your project.
Administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (the Department), the Location Offset is a federal refundable tax offset designed to encourage large-budget screen productions to film in Australia. It is applied at 16.5% of an eligible production’s qualifying Australian production expenditure.
Productions that qualify for the Location Offset can also apply for the Location Incentive, which provides a further grant of up to 13.5% of qualifying expenditure in addition to the 16.5% rebate delivered by the Location Offset. The Location Incentive is also administered by the Department.
As the leading screen production cashflow financier in Australia, Fulcrum has a deep understanding of the local sector, in particular the manner in which its screen production incentives operate. Our on-the-ground presence enables us to maintain an extensive network of industry connections, who keep us informed of the latest developments. Through our unmatched experience with cashflowing the federal PDV Offset, we have developed a sophisticated understanding of the technical and practical requirements associated with processing applications through the Department.
For eligibility criteria see the Department’s website.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. You will need a draft production budget, draft breakdown of qualifying production expenditure, draft production schedule, draft finance plan and a project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel) to enable Fulcrum to consider lending against the Location Offset and Incentive on your project.
State Attraction Grants
Most Australian states offer their own screen production and post-production attraction grants designed to attract productions to their region. Generally, the relevant state-based attraction grant is included alongside another type of incentive, such as the Producer Offset, the PDV Offset or the Location Offset.
Fulcrum has significant experience with cashflowing state government screen production incentives. Further, we have relationships with each of the state screen agencies, all of whom know Fulcrum well. This combination of experience and access enables us to add value by assisting producers to navigate the complexities associated with managing cashflow on projects that are accessing multiple incentives.
The UK Film Tax Relief (FTR) entitles eligible producers of British films and high-end television projects to claim a cash rebate of up to 25% of qualifying UK expenditure.
Fulcrum has experience with cashflowing the FTR on Australian-UK co-productions and, with offices in Australia and representation in the UK, can offer on-the-ground support for those projects in both jurisdictions.
Fulcrum can leverage these relationships for the benefit of eligible projects.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. You will need a draft production budget identifying qualifying UK expenditure, draft production schedule, draft finance plan and project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel) to enable Fulcrum to consider lending against the FTR on your project.
In addition to cashflowing screen production and post-production tax credits, Fulcrum cashflows distribution guarantees, international presales, sales agent advances and licence fees payable by broadcasters and streaming platforms.
Fulcrum has a deep understanding of the relevant processes. We have relationships with most major distributors, sales agents and broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, as well as experience working with streaming platforms and US and UK studios. We have a demonstrated history of being capable of leveraging this network and expertise to devise flexible, creative and efficient cashflow structures across a diverse range of projects.
As with all our services, Fulcrum will assess our ability to provide this type of finance on a project-by-project basis.
Please contact Zach Parker to discuss collaborating with Fulcrum. If you are submitting an enquiry in relation to a tax credit or other incentive and you would also like Fulcrum to consider cashflowing your distribution guarantee, international presale, sales agent advance or licence fee, please advise us of this in your enquiry.
The combined experience, reputation and relationships of our people allows us to provide you with the reliable and timely service you need, as well as value added assistance in structuring the finance for your project.
Whether you deal with Zach Parker, Jennifer Aylward or Sally Caplan, our focus is always on creating a responsive, efficient and friendly experience for producers.
If your project has a draft budget, qualifying expenditure breakdown, finance plan, production schedule and project overview (including a synopsis and list of key personnel), we’d love to hear from you.
