The end of the incentive could drive the creators to film films and TV series elsewhere than in Finland.
Finnish film– and the TV industry took a hit on Monday when the government’s budget for next year was announced. There is not a single euro of state money in the budget for the so-called production incentive for the audiovisual industry.
This was despite the fact that the Ministry of Labor and the Economy had proposed that the incentive would, on the contrary, increase significantly.
The purpose of the production incentive is to attract domestic and foreign companies to film a film or TV series in Finland. Thanks to the incentive mechanism, the company has been able to get a maximum of a quarter of its costs back as compensation.
9.5 million euros had been budgeted for this year’s incentive, and it was used up already at the beginning of summer. For the rest of the year, the Ministry of Labor and Economy had proposed additional funding of ten million euros, and a total of 20 million euros for next year. In the government’s proposal, both amounts have changed to zero.
For many for a company in the field, this means a crisis, says the executive director Laura Kuulasmaa From Audiovisual Producers Finland ry. The association monitors the interests of AV industry producers in Finland.
According to Apfi ry, domestic production companies will also greatly benefit from the av incentive. Half of those eligible for the incentive have been Finnish, and even international projects require a Finnish production service company as a partner, i.e. employ Finnish professionals.
According to Kuulasmaa, the danger is that the lack of an incentive makes it difficult to finance domestic drama series and pushes Finnish creators to shoot elsewhere than in Finland. The incentive is used, for example, in the Baltic countries, Sweden and Norway.
Likewise, foreign film and television producers look for countries that reward newcomers financially.
“If there is no incentive, foreign production will go to a country with an incentive. You can follow the snow to, for example, Norway,” says Kuulasmaa.
According to Kuulasmaa, it is still possible that the government could decide on the financing of the incentive in the coming weeks.
“If there is a will, there are still solutions,” says Kuulasmaa.
“Hopefully, the situation can be saved.”
In order to get foreign productions to Finland by next year, the matter is urgent. According to Kuulasmaa, it’s about weeks.
Minister of Economic Affairs by Wille Rydman (ps) special assistant Lassi Noponen says that the ministry is still looking for resources for the incentive for next year.
“It’s not easy, but we’ll do our best,” he texted HS on Monday evening.
Apfi association according to one incentive euro, for four euros, work, services and procurement are produced, which without the incentive would remain unpurchased in Finland.
“For the state, this is a risk-free, self-financing instrument that can be proven to produce more than it takes,” characterizes Kuulasmaa.
Film and TV series production groups are large, so they have a significant employment impact on the region where they are filmed.
Even the production team of a domestic TV series may enjoy thousands of meals in the locality during filming days. The economic impact naturally also extends to the accommodation industry. The tourism industry benefits from the recognition that a finished film or TV series will eventually spread.
Well-known domestic films and series covered by the incentive are, for example Go, Sorjonen, Ivalo and All sins.
The production incentive is managed by Business Finland. The mechanism has been in use since 2017.
Added on 9.10. at 5:50 p.m.: Comment by Lassi Nopose, assistant to Minister of Economy Wille Rydman.
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