The Czech Republic has reopened its film-incentive registration process, which had been temporarily suspended owing to the overwhelming demand that drained the funds allocated for 2023 as early as last January (see the news). This resumption is a direct result of amendments to the Audiovisual Law. The changes introduce a new mechanism that pauses the registration of incentive-seeking projects, thereby enabling a continuous application process without shutting it down completely. “The amendments are crucial for the efficient operation of the incentive system. In scenarios like this, they will enable the Czech Film Fund to extend support to more projects, encompassing both local and international productions,” stated Czech Minister of Culture Martin Baxa.

Furthermore, the amendment is partly a response to last year's Hollywood strike. “Owing to the strike, US productions have been unable to film in recent months and consequently have not utilised the allocated funds. However, this money was still reserved for them, impacting the availability of incentives,” clarified the Ministry of Culture.

The Czech government has allocated the same budget for the 2024 film incentives as it did in 2023, amounting to 1.4 billion Czech crowns (approximately €56 million). Helena Bezděk Franková, head of the Czech Film Fund, notes that international productions annually contribute approximately 14 billion Czech crowns (€563 million) to the Czech economy. Given that the incentive rate stands at 20%, the Czech Audiovisual Producers’ Association calculates that annual incentives should total 1.6 billion crowns (€64 million). The Ministry of Culture has already announced an additional allocation of 200 million crowns (€8 million) from the National Recovery Plan in January 2024, to be distributed through creative vouchers. “We're pleased that it has finally been possible to support audiovisual content through the National Recovery Plan. By linking producers and various professions, creative vouchers enable precisely targeted support to go to projects that are genuinely in demand, thereby aiding smaller or hitherto less-supported audiovisual sectors like, for instance, animated projects, creative documentary projects and high-quality television production,” said Vratislav Šlajer, head of the Czech Audiovisual Producers' Association.

The minor revision to the Czech Audiovisual Law, colloquially termed the “small amendment”, is part of a broader legislative overhaul known as the “big amendment”. This major revision, currently being developed by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with audiovisual industry experts, aims to adapt to the rapidly evolving dynamics of the sector. Key aspects of the “big amendment” include streamlining the film-incentive system, transforming the Czech Film Fund into the Czech Audiovisual Fund (see the news), and integrating contributions from streaming services, including global entities such as Netflix and Disney. The big amendment is expected to enter into force at the beginning of 2025.

The Czech Republic has emerged as a prime location for high-budget productions. Recent examples include Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front [+lee también:
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