08/11/2006

The new Film Policy Agreement for 2007-2010 just signed off by Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen and all Danish political parties will provide the local film industry with a total budget of over DKK 2bn (approximately €268m), a 13% increase on the last Film Agreement (2003-2006).

The annual support from the Danish Film Institute (DFI) will remain broadly the same, at DKK 252.6m (up 3.2%), but the biggest increase will come from public broadcasters DR-TV and TV2 Danmark, whose financial commitments will rise by 57.6%, from DKK92m to DKK145m per year.

With regards to feature film, the DFI will earmark a total of DKK 611m for the development, production and marketing of 80-100 feature films during that period. This represents 20 to 25 Danish-language features each year, including five to seven international co-productions in a foreign language, a global production volume that will basically remain unchanged.

The allocations will be divided between the 60/40 scheme (whereby DFI provides 60% and a producer 40% financing on projects with greater audience potential) and the Consultants scheme (focusing more on experimental and arthouse films), with both schemes receiving each at least 40% of the total grants. Access to funding will also be eased as applicants will be able to submit their projects to the three film consultants (two in charge of films for adults and one in charge of films for children and adolescents) regardless of the type of film.

Probably due to the success of the New Danish Screen initiative, a stronger focus will be placed on the development of upcoming talent, and a total DKK 153m budget will be allocated to new talent in feature film as well as to television drama and documentary. Documentary filmmaking as a whole will benefit from a total DKK 150m budget from the DFI, who will work closely with local broadcasters to try to increase the distribution channels available to them.

Other areas of support include regional film production (which will receive DKK 28m during those four years), local and arthouse cinemas, and European film policy initiatives such as the Copenhagen Film Tank.