23/02/2010

Since its launch last December, the French international tax credit has already benefitted 15 cinematic and audiovisual works from four countries (the US – with funding from Warner, Universal, Lakeshore and Lionsgate – the UK, Japan and Gabon) with an estimated €90m of expenditure in France.

Four new projects have just been confirmed by Véronique Cayla, president of the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC). These are US productions Woody Allen Summer Project and The Tourist by German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (a remake of Anthony Zimmer, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp); Henri-Joseph Kouba Bididi’s Gabonese feature Le Lion de Poubara; and the third season of the BBC’s Merlin series.

Projects selected at the sessions on December 23, 2009 and January 29, 2010 include US productions Hereafter by Clint Eastwood, Inception by Christopher Nolan and Killers by Robert Luketic; as well as two UK projects: Raoul Ruiz’s Love and Virtue and Harley Cokeliss’ Paris Connections.

Four US projects were also accredited for animation work in France: Christopher Renaud’s The Lorax, Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, Len Wiseman’s Underworld 3D and Renaud and Pierre Coffin’s Despicable Me.

For the record, the international tax credit (C2I) benefits the work’s executive producer in France. It represents 20% of the film’s eligible expenses in France and can reach a maximum of €4m per work.

(Translated from French)