26/11/2024 - The Greenland Parliament passed a new law to establish the body, tasked to fund and promote production and offering a 25% cash rebate scheme

(© patano)

On 20 November, the Parliament of Greenland passed a new law to found a film institute that will be in charge of film funding and promotion and will feature a 25% rebate scheme.

The law was approved unanimously and the Greenland’s first film institute will be called Kalaallit Nunaanni Filminstitutti in the local language. The organisation will start operating in 2026.

Several amendments have been made to the original law proposal, and the final wording of the proposal has yet to be finalised. The budget will be set next year, and the Greenlandic government will appoint a chairperson for the institute's board. Four organisations will nominate representatives to the board: Film.gl, the Greenland Arts Foundation, the Actors’ Organisation, and the Greenland Employers’ Association.

The board will be responsible for selecting the CEO of the institute, who will then recruit a small team of employees, including a film commissioner for Greenland.

Some of the confirmed key objectives of the new body include promoting local features, shorts and documentaries; promoting cinema-going and festivals; increasing awareness of local and foreign films; promoting the sale and awareness of domestic productions abroad; collecting film and TV literature for the general public; ensuring a wide range of audience-orientated activities; maintaining a productive dialogue with the whole industry; surveying the suitability of films for younger audiences, and backing professional and talent development.

The new law also includes an obligatory application process for foreign production companies willing to film in Greenland, who will access a 25% reimbursement of local expenses.