15/06/2005

In the Basque audiovisual policy is oriented to strengthen production companies gradually seeking to consolidate a structure that will permit to reorient part of the selective support to projects, to automatic subsidies based on objective criteria. However the promotion of creativity is not overlooked.

The total amount foreseen for support in the year 2005 was made public last March and fixed in 1.276.000 euros practically repeating the figures of 2004.

This amount will be destined to support the creation of scripts, project development and production of feature films, TV movies, feature animation films, documentaries and short fiction and animation films.

For scriptwriting three amounts of 12.000 euros per project are foreseen. Scripts may be intended for cinema, television, animation or documentary, in all formats and in any language. Only people with residence in the Basque country for a year may apply.

For project development 100.000 euros are engaged. Projects may be fiction, animation, documentary or multimedia works, both for cinema and for television. The maximum limit of the development support per project is fixed in 21.000 euros.

For audiovisual productions 1.140.000 euros are being committed in 2005, being 660.000 euros for film feature films or TV movies in any tongue with a maximum of 180.000 euros by project, 240.000 euros for animation features, 120.000 euros for the production of documentary of creation with a limit of 60.000 euros by project and 120.000 euros for the production of short films with the limit of 18.000 euros per project.

To opt to the aid production companies must have social residence in the Basque autonomous region previous to the date of publication of the Call for projects. Several other criteria that link the project to the Basque Country qualify positively, such as those that present cultural and social ties, or those that establish the location of the shooting in the Basque Country or present the original version of the work in Basque.

The Department of culture of the Basque Government foresees likewise a special state of financing for production. For this year there is a budgetary endowment of 9.000.000 euros for credit aids to audiovisual production itemized in 5.500.000 euros in refundable loans without interest and 3.500.000 euros for financing of contracts.