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The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) announces today (Wednesday) that the Film Development Fund (FDF) is open for application and interested parties will have seven weeks to submit their applications.

The deadline for applications is March 13, 1999.

The announcement has been made following a meeting of the Projects Vetting Committee (PVC) which met for the first time on 25 January to finalise arrangements and procedures for inviting applications for funding support from the $100 million FDF.

The Committee, which was established under the Film Services Advisory Committee early this year, is responsible for assessing and vetting applications and prescribing the terms and conditions of funding.

"In finalising arrangements for vetting applications, members of the PVC stressed the importance of fairness, transparency and accountability. To ensure fairness in the vetting process, the PVC would adopt a system for declaration of interests," a spokesman for TELA said.

"The Committee agreed that rejected applications should be provided with reasons for such decision as this would enhance transparency of its decision. It also endorsed arrangements for periodic reports on the disbursements of the fund and monitoring of the progress of approved projects as these would help maintain accountability of the PVC."

The spokesman said the Film Services Office of TELA would take a pro-active approach in encouraging the industry to submit applications by writing to the film and related organisations. It will also offer assistance to interested organisations in making applications. Posters and APIs will be prepared to publicize the Film Development Fund, the spokesman added.

Organisations which are interested in making an application can obtain application forms from the Film Services Office, 9/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai.

For enquiries, they can call the FSO at Tel. No. 2594 5746 or via E-mail telaceof@netvigator.com.

END/Wednesday, January 27, 1999

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