Can I co-finance a film with private funding and a public broadcaster?
In Australia there is no problem with co-financing a project with private funding and SBS, or with the commercial or pay television channels. The ABC has regulations about sponsorship but there is a clear distinction between sponsorship and a private grant. A grant is never sponsorship and is an unencumbered donation without a requirement for the filmmaker to push any particular editorial line. However the filmmaker needs to consult with the ABC at an early stage to guarantee that there are no issues of conflict or endorsement. There are many examples of philanthropic support to documentaries that are broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network in the USA. These examples offer models where the sources of finance are in no way related to the subject matter of the film nor could be seen to influence its content. A strong argument can already be made using these examples to help clarify the distinction between sponsorship and philanthropic support.
