iOPIF to Begin Accepting New Applications May 5th

As we near July and the beginning of a new fiscal year, we are preparing to open up the application process for our “local filmmaker” program, commonly referred to as the Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Fund (iOPIF).

We will begin accepting iOPIF applications on May 5th, 2014.  Our iOPIF Advisory Committee will evaluate all applications submitted between May 5th and May 9th as having been submitted at the same time.  We are looking for projects that are fully financed and ready to be produced this year.

–  No applications will be accepted before May 5, 2014.

–  The iOPIF application form is available here (PDF)…

–  All applications must be submitted electronically to [email protected]

–  In order for applications to be considered complete, the following must be attached:

•  Script, synopsis, or project bid
•  Budget (including Oregon projected spending)
•  Production schedule
•  Finance plan
•  Proof of funding
•  Producer’s letter of intent

Full details on the iOPIF incentive program can be found on our website:  oregonfilm.org/incentives

Due to recent changes in the legislation for iOPIF, local “media production services” are now eligible for rebates through the program.  Media production services, as defined in the bill, will include post-production services and interactive video game development. For more information on the recent changes to the iOPIF, please read our previous posting and FAQ here…

We will notify all applicants of the status of their application by the end of May.  If you have any questions on the application process or the iOPIF program, please email [email protected].

7 thoughts on “iOPIF to Begin Accepting New Applications May 5th

    • If a project isn’t fully funded at the moment, there is still the possibility for an iOPIF contract to be made based on the amount of financing that is currently confirmed. For example, if you had an estimated budget of $200,000 but only $100,000 of funding confirmed, the iOPIF contract would have to be written based on a $100,000 total budget. Since the minimum Oregon spend to qualify for an iOPIF rebate is $75,000, any project applying for the rebate needs to show proof of at least $75,000 in funding in order to be eligible.

  1. Based on the previous answer, can the i-OPIF contract be amended? Example: A film application for $300,000 proves initial funding of $150,000 in the bank and contracts at that level for a project to start late in the fiscal year i.e. mid 2015. However, prior to PP, it achieves its full funding and shoots with its full budget in place. This is really a question of flexibility. A year is a long time in Indie film production, which i-OPIF was designed for.

    • Yes, there is the ability for an iOPIF contract to be amended if the funded budget for the project increases. That is, of course, dependent on whether or not there are available funds in the iOPIF at that time. The statute doesn’t allow us to set aside funds for a project without the proof of funding in place to justify the reserved rebate amount.

  2. A follow up to that Q&A, could an application straddle two Fiscal Years if its Principal Photography schedule was split between June and July. In other words, if the expenditure was evenly split $150K in 2014-15 and $150K 2015-16, could the project draw from the fund over two years, especially if the fund in the 2014-15 year had been exhausted.

  3. An iOPIF application is specific to the fiscal year. However, if a project starts at the end of one fiscal year (for example June 2015), but continues production into the next fiscal year (July 2015), that would make it eligible to receive a rebate from the 2015-16 fiscal year’s funds.

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