Thanks for the response, Vital. I'm mainly interested in the topic because I watch a lot of European films and am interested in making films and working on films that have more of an "arthouse" label to them -- essentially the kind of cinema that Europe is associated with because that's the kind that makes its way to American audiences. I guess the impression, from my American eyes at least, is that "arthouse" movies that couldn't usually be made in America are made more easily in Europe -- whether that's due to the fact that the national film fund doesn't require that a film makes a profit, or because this type of film is more favored by European audiences, is something I'd be interested in knowing if you can answer it.
Do you happen to know what any of the requirements are for European co-production? I know very basically that usually a certain number of crew members from whatever partner countries are involved have to be hired for the project.
And I assume that for the national film funds, these are only open to residents (or citizens) of the specific countries? There are a lot of random grants and workshops through places like Sundance for films here, but they're probably as impenetrable as those in Europe.
Also, I know you said you didn't get a formal film education, but do you know to what extent film schools in Europe actually help students join the industry? There are countless film schools here, none provide any kind of placement for students post graduation, and even with the best, you have to pay an enormous amount of money for something that isn't guaranteed, although you might have a better network afterward.