Austrian Film Commission Celebrates Introduction of 35% Production Incentive

variety.com:

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorFilm in Austria, an organization that serves as the film commission for the country, has welcomed the decision by its government this week to introduce a 35% incentive for film and TV production.The automatic, non-repayable subsidy, which will come into force on Jan.

1, 2023, will contribute a maximum of Euros 5 million ($5.1 million) per film and Euros 7.5 million ($7.64 million) per series.

Applications will need to be made by a production service company based in Austria. There is a 30% cash rebate for each project, plus an additional 5% “green bonus,” which is dependent on the implementation of environmental sustainability criteria.There is no cap on the fund that supplies the subsidy, which means the subsidy pool will never run dry, regardless of how many producers apply for the incentive.

The Film in Austria team said it was “delighted with this major step towards strengthening Austria as film location.”It added: “The previous lack of an effective instrument to increase value creation in Austria, to attract foreign production and to create qualified jobs has so far caused film productions to migrate to neighboring countries and thus the loss of value creation, know-how and skilled workers at home.”Vienna Film Commission said the new incentive “will strengthen Austria in the competition between European locations.”Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, the chairman of trade association Film and Music Austria (FAMA), said: “The fact that the funding system itself is not capped is a real sensation.