Danish Film Institute

The Danish Film Institute is the national agency that supports and encourages Danish film and cinema culture. It supports the development, production, and distribution of Danish films and offers funding for international co-productions.

Core tasks involve:

funding the production and development of films and their promotion and dissemination;
preserving and providing access to the national film heritage;
providing classifications and advice on films and moving images.

Support programs extend to film education and promotion at international film festivals. A minimum of 25 percent of all subsidies are earmarked for children and youth films.

Situated in central Copenhagen, the Danish Film Institute houses the national Cinematheque and includes a library and a film studio for children to explore the craft of filmmaking.

It manages the stills, posters and film archives and operates the streaming sites filmcentralen.dk for teaching, stumfilm.dk for watching silent films, danmarkpaafilm.dk for exploring historical documentary films and clips and the carlthdreyer.dk site celebrating Danish auteur Carl Theodor Dreyer.

The Danish Film Institute operates under the Ministry of Culture in accordance with the Film Act of 1997.

Det Danske Filminstitut

person

Number of inhabitants

5,939,695 (2024)
euro

Budget in 2023

83,1M€
local_movies

Number of projects supported in 2023

40

Film Education - EFAD Members' Initiatives

The Danish Film Institute (DFI) is committed to providing children and young people with diverse opportunities to experience, understand and create film. Focusing on film, video games, cinema culture and film education, DFI targets audiences aged 2-18, collaborating with national and international partners. The institute values the cultural and educational impact of high-quality moving images in shaping young people's identities and worldview.

The DFI offers a range of programs aimed at reaching as many children and young people as possible across Denmark, with both online and on-site film education for schools, kindergartens and families. These initiatives are often run in partnership with municipalities, cinemas and cultural institutions. Additionally, the DFI supports key organizations and practitioners through funding and mentorship, facilitated by a strong national network, and engages in European cooperation and networking.

A quarter of the DFI’s funding is dedicated to films for children and youth, supporting the development, production and distribution of documentaries, fiction and series.

Sustainability - EFAD Members’ Initiatives

Starting in late 2024, the Danish Film Institute will mandate all film productions to complete a sustainability plan based on the Green Film handbook. This initiative aims to reduce the industry's CO2 footprint by encouraging sustainable production practices. The Film School will also offer courses in green film production.