27/10/2008

After many years of deliberations, the UK-India co-production treaty has finally been ratified. The venue was the Trafalgar Square location of Bollywood song and dance spectacular London Dreams.

UK Film Minister Barbara Follett said, “The range of benefits we are offering through the treaty aims to bring our industries closer together - and I am confident that Indian filmmakers will want to take up the offer. Films made under the UK-Indian co-production treaty will benefit from possible funding from the UK Film Council, support to help them sell their films at international festivals and increased access to EU markets and TV sales.”

Under the treaty, co-productions will get national status and therefore will be able to access tax credits in the UK. British films shooting in India will be able to cut through red tape under a new single window application scheme, amongst a host of other benefits.

Following the launch, UK and Indian film practitioners convened at an event titled “UK and India the shape of things to come” organised by the UK Film Council and the Times BFI London Film Festival, currently underway. Topics discussed included the market potential for India-UK co-productions; screenwriting for international audiences – what can UK and Indian writers learn from each other; creative funding partners and brokering collaboration; and what it’s like to make films in India.

The Indian film industry makes more than 1,000 films a year and the international market for Indian film was valued at $25.8 billion in 2006. The treaty will help British filmmakers to break into this expanding market. In turn, the UK is a favoured shooting location for Indian films. Last year Hindi films accounted for 10% of all releases in the UK.