In 2009 the Slovak film industry saw one of its most relevant transitions: the creation of an independent audiovisual funding body.

On November 5, 2008, Act 516/2008 Coll. on the Audiovisual Fund and the Amendment of Certain Acts was adopted, which went into effect on January 1, 2009.

In practical terms, it meant that the six-year-old Audiovisual programme at the Ministry of Culture which granted the film subsidies was ending. " The Ministry of Culture will be from now on just one of the supporters. It takes hands off the new fund, since the fund will be an independent institution," said Anton Škreko, the director of Audiovisual programme at the Ministry of Culture.

During the year-long transition phase, the grant system has functioned under different conditions - the nine member grant commission assessed projects from only single round over two sessions, meaning that in 2008 it assessed projects from two rounds in four sessions.

Nataša Slavikova, the general director at the department of Media, Audiovision and Copyright states that 4,179,450 Euro was granted this year to 104 projects out of 170 that applied for the grants. In 2008, 4,271,626 Euro was granted. From January 1, 2010 the subsidies will be granted by the Audiovisual Fund.

The two largest grants went to the films Visible World (410,000 Euro), and Cherrie Boy (380 000 Euro), both produced by JMB Film and TV production (http://www.jmbfilm.sk/).

The new Audiovisual Fund has six committees officially announced on November 25.

The Audiovisual Fund accepts applications beginning November 30, 2009. Deadlines are 15.12.2009, 1.3.2010 and 1.9.2010.

The website http://www.avf.sk/ is under construction. Information can be found at the website of the Ministry of Culture, http://www.filmneweurope.com/www.culture.gov.sk.