OREANDA-NEWS.The Ministry of Economic Development has prepared rules for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget when foreigners shoot movies and television films in Russia. The relevant draft government decree is posted on the federal portal of regulatory and legal acts. Although the state will compensate for the expenses of foreign film studios, they won't be able to get a rebate, but their local partners - production studios. They must meet certain criteria: specialize in film and television production, work on the market for at least one year, not be affiliated with foreign companies, etc.

The state is ready to partially reimburse transportation and hotel expenses, remuneration of local staff, creation of scenery, tailoring of costumes, protection of public order on the set and other services, including, for example, the provision of weather forecasts. In order for a foreign film studio to receive compensation through its Russian partner, its budget for shooting in Russia must be at least 20 million rubles for the film and 10 million rubles. - for animated (in both cases, the minimum picture timing is 60 minutes), 5 million rubles - for a documentary (40 minutes) and one episode of the series (15 minutes).

Major world film companies are now considering the possibility of filming in a particular country, including on the basis of whether there are rebates, the general director of the Russian office of Sony Pictures Productions & Releasing, Anton Sirenko, states. “And even between countries where the system of compensation for the cost of shooting works, there is competition. There is no Russia on this map yet”, adds Sirenko.  

In 2016, over half of all 446 films were shot in the EU using various financial incentives - cash rebates and tax incentives. With € 1.4 billion in total production costs for these pictures, the amount of financial preferences was estimated at € 140 million. With the use of cash rebates, 162 films were shot, tax breaks were granted for 175 films, the subsidies were € 75.8 million and respectively € 68.1 million.