Top Austrian directors led by the Oscar-winning Stefan Ruzowitzky with Barbara Albert, Ruth Beckmann and Markus Schleinzer are among the signatories of an open letter calling on Austria’s coalition government to work towards the “rapid” implementation of an investment obligation in local content by the global streaming platforms operating in the territory.
“International streaming platforms are doing good business in Austria and generating high revenues, but at the same time they show little interest in investing in content, filmmakers and creativity from Austria,” said the open letter which had also been signed by 23 film trade associations including the Austrian Film Academy and Film Austria as well as numerous producers, screenwriters and actors.
“A levy could generate up to €40 million per year for the film industry, while a direct investment obligation could trigger up to €90 million per year in investments,” the filmmakers argued in their letter.
They pointed out that the concept of an investment obligation had not fallen on deaf ears among the politicians now in power in Vienna.
The new coalition government had made a firm commitment to support calls for an investment obligation being imposed on streamers and VoD services when it came into office at the end of this past February.
In its package of policies for the media industry, the coalition proposed the introduction of a “fair contribution by international streaming services towards the financing of Austria as a music and film hub in consideration of the Austrian consumers as well as the media landscape”.
In addition, the coalition’s programme had outlined plans to give “stronger support for co-productions in the spirit of international exchange” and for “Austria as film hub and the attractive funding instruments to be strengthened and further developed.
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