The Greek government has further delayed reopening the country’s popular 40% tax rebate for international film and TV productions until January 2025 as it strives to clear a funding backlog and receive a fresh budget.
The rebate has been closed for new applications since May 1. It was expected to formally reopen on October 1, administered by the newly-created Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre - Creative Greece (HFAC-Creative Greece).
However, Screen understands international film and TV productions hoping to shoot in Greece this year have been assured by Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of HFAC-Creative Greece, they will be still able to access the rebate.
Among the productions hoping to film in Greece this year are Sebastien Chondrokostas’ Poland-Greek coproduction Longing, Anonymous Content’s Biblical horror The Carpenter’s Son starring Nicolas Cage, Amazon MGM series House Of David, and Amazon Prime Video series Malice, starring David Duchovny and Carice van Houten.
When contacted by Screen, Christopoulos confirmed the rebate would reopen in January but was unable to provide details of how producers will be able to claim the rebate if they start shooting before then.
“The three pertinent ministries [culture; national economy and finance; and digital governance] have currently intensified their efforts to secure the funds necessary for supporting the audiovisual industry,” said Christopoulos. “Our central strategic goal is to resume operation of the cash rebate programme in January 2025 in a way that will guarantee the reliability, sustainability, transparency and consistency of the programme.”
HFAC-Creative Greece was created in April through the merger of the Greek Film Centre (GFC), which has long supported local productions, and Ekome, the agency that ran the parallel cash rebate and tax relief schemes to attract international productions to Greece. The incentive has proved very successful, attracting a total of 211 projects, including Ruben Ostlund’s Triangle Of Sadness and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter for Netflix.
According to HFAC-Creative Greece, the rebate has paid out a total of €130m since 2019, almost €50m of that in 2023. Screen understands there is an outstanding amount that is yet to be paid.
Meanwhile, the Greek film industry has reacted with frustration to the further delay in government funding for both the 40% rebate and the €3m in selective support for local producers.
“We ask the culture ministry to undertake urgent initiatives to overturn the actual negative situation,” said producers’ association ESPEK in a statement on October 3. “Otherwise they will be held accountable for the dwindling of the local film production and the serious negative impact on the cultural profile of the country both inside and outside Greece.”
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