The decision for the state to continue incentives for the film industry, translated into last week’s Government Decree, adopted on the initiative of the Cinematography Group of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, will bring a larger inflow of foreign investments in this area, new films, series and other cinematographic projects and conditions for strengthening and better positioning of domestic production, the representatives of the profession agree, it was announced from PKS.
– Incentives bring foreign productions and support domestic creators. The adopted Decree on incentives for investors to produce audiovisual works in Serbia is a continuation of the practice from previous seasons, which has given significant results. There is more filming in Serbia than ever and there is no film worker who is out of work. Unlike the time before the introduction of incentives, when there was no state allocation for cinematography, today we are side by side with the countries of the region – said Igor Turcinovic, film producer, member of the Cinematography Group at the Association for Creative Industry of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
He points out that, a few years ago, when incentives were first introduced, there were suspicious colleagues who feared that Serbia would become a cheap service for foreign productions, but it turned out that state support was also useful for domestic industry.
– The most developed foreign productions came to Serbia and our film workers got a great opportunity to learn from the best – Turcinovic explained. As a good example, he cites the American series The Outpost, on the shooting of which domestic directors, photo directors and other filmmakers were also engaged in Serbia.
– I hope that we will continue in the direction that proved to be good and that the state will still have an ear for our profession, which is now experiencing prosperity – concluded Turcinovic. He reminded that the PKS Cinematography Group, in 2014, immediately after its establishment, launched an initiative to introduce incentives for the recording of audiovisual works in Serbia.
Bogdan Petkovic, President of the Section of Producer Services Providers PKS, assessed that the new incentives are crucial for the survival of 18 companies that shoot commercials in Serbia, because they will be able to continue providing services to clients under unchanged conditions and retain employees.
– Due to the global economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, marketing budgets have been significantly reduced compared to the period before the corona, so this decision of the Government of Serbia gives a great chance to quickly establish business relations with foreign clients and companies, which gives our industry the opportunity to operate in European and world market – said Petkovic.
The Association for Creative Industry of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce supported and advocated the initiative of its members from the Cinematography Group to continue with many useful incentives, both for attracting foreign productions and for the domestic film industry and the Serbian economy as a whole, said Vida Samardzic, secretary of the Association for Creative Industry.
Noting that the Decree incorporates almost all the Group’s proposals, Samardzic announces that the SCC, in cooperation with the Government and the competent Ministry, will continue to work on improving the solutions from this Decree related to filming series and other initiatives of our members to create even more stimulating conditions for development of the film industry in Serbia, eKapija reports.
