Czech Film Fund seeks additional 500 million for filmmaker incentives

Prague, Nov 5 (CTK) – Filmmakers have already used the 800 million crowns from the Czech Film Fund (SFK) in the first six months of the year and the SFK thus cannot accept any more applications unless the Czech government allocates 500 million crowns more, SFK director Helena Frankova told CTK today.

If the CFK receives additional funds, it could start accepting applications again by November 17, Frankova said.

According to Milk and Honey production company director Radomir Docekal, the reason for the current unstable situation could be decision of many large producers with billion-dollar budgets to move their projects to surrounding countries.

Producers and filmmakers said that unless the government allocates the money required for the SFK to offer financial incentives, the result will be a loss of jobs and profit for many local businesses and also an overall loss for the Czech economy as a whole.

Foreign film productions brought almost five billion crowns in investment to the Czech Republic last year.

“At the moment, we are facing the departure of many productions, including key ones like Netflix and Amazon, to one of the 31 countries that continue to offer favourable film production incentives,” Docekal said, adding that film production incentives are an investment that is sure to be worth it.

The list includes the Wild Cards series based on the novels set in a shared universe edited by George R. R. Martin, the second season of The Foundation series based on the work of Isaac Asimov as well as other series, for example The Vampire Chronicles or Kingkiller.

However, The Vampire Chronicles production team already decided to move the production and to film its first episodes in Ireland due to the incentives situation in the Czech Republic.