Austria tries to be more attractive as a film location with new incentive model

Aiming to make Austria more attractive as a film location, the federal government implemented an incentive model for the Austrian film industry. This includes a non-repayable subsidy of 35% of the expenditure reported in Austria in the context of film productions, 5% of which is for the consideration of climate-friendly criteria.

International audiovisual productions of any length from the fields of cinema, television and streaming, as well as national cinema, television and streaming productions co-produced with international partners, are to be favored. The incentive model, which is not limited in time and has no budgetary cap, will come into force on January 1, 2023.

“The international film industry is strongly influenced by globalization and competition. Numerous countries in Europe are already strategically using incentive models for the film industry in order, among other things, to increase added value in their own country, attract investments and create jobs. Austria has been falling behind here for years and is no longer up to date. It is all the more important that Austria finally follows suit and introduces an effective, modern funding instrument for the audiovisual sector,”  said WB Secretary General Kurt Egger.

“As an international art and culture country, Austria must also have the necessary instruments in such a key growth area of the cultural and creative industries in order to be able to develop and maintain expertise and infrastructure. Austria must become an attractive location for the international film and media industry. A modern incentive model for filmmakers ensures that we keep the added value in our country and can do justice to our reputation as a state of art and culture in the 21st century. As an economic association, we therefore expressly welcome the implementation of the tax incentive model for the Austrian film industry,”  Egger concluded.

Recent Hollywood films shot in the country include “Spectre” (2015), starring Daniel Craig; “The Spy Who Dumped Me” (2018), starring Mila Kunis; and “Downhill” (2019), with Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.