Czech state radio is reporting that the European Commission has approved the Czech Republic film incentives program.
The Czech Ministry of Culture submitted the incentives proposal to Brussels in January after obtaining the approval of the government and $20m from the state budget to finance the scheme in its first year.
Czech officials said they were still waiting for official word from Brussels and were reluctant to comment until then. An announcement from the Ministry of Culture is expected Monday.
The EU approval comes during a dry spell for the Czech industry. Several runaway productions have moved on to other locations while the European Commission deliberated, with Warner Bros’ The Rite and Good Films’ The Great Ghost Rescue opting to shoot in Hungary, where a similar incentive is already in place.
The Czech incentive reportedly offers a 20% rebate of production costs incurred in the Czech territory and paid to Czech entities. It is understood to include a broad test for European culture. As submitted to Brussels, the plan requires films to have 75% of the budget already in place before they can qualify for the support.
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