Norway introduces 25% rebate for international film and TV
- The country’s Culture Minister, Thorhild Widvey, has allocated €4.7 million for incentives to attract foreign productions
The Norwegian government will next year back the local film industry’s efforts to attract international film and TV productions through an incentive scheme offering foreign producers a 25% refund of their costs in Norway (up to €5 million).
Culture Minister Thorhild Widvey announced yesterday (7 October) that she has allocated €4.7 million in next year’s €87 million film budget – up 5% on 2015 – for the new initiative, which will be administered from Bergen, the gateway to Norway's most spectacular film locations.
“Norway has rich qualities for filming locations – in addition to a professional and competent film industry, we have a rich cultural history, and a unique natural and cultural landscape. With the incentive scheme, we want to strengthen Norway's competitive advantage,” said Widvey.
“The lower value of the Norwegian currency will add to Norway's new appeal as a filming location – the US dollar is up from NOK 5.65 to NOK 8.20 and gets you 45% more than three years ago. The British pound and the euro have increased in the same way,” added film commissioner Sigmund Elias Holm, of Bergen’s Western Norway Film Commission.
In 2016, government support for two to three regional film funds (instead of the current five) will be almost doubled to €2.1 million, which can be combined with the incentive scheme to make an attractive package for international producers.
The new state policy also outlines that the public fee on film and video, which has paid for the activities of cinema association Film & Kino, will go directly to the Treasury. The Norwegian Film Institute will take over most of the association’s work.
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