Last week, the Italian region of Sicily announced its plans to co-finance film and TV projects with a brand-new fund of €10.8 million, aiming to boost the island’s employment opportunities, spend on local production services, and the tourism industry.

The amount will cover the 2022-2023 period and will cover up to 20% of total production costs. The fund will be administered by the Sicily Film Commission. In detail, €8.8 million will back fiction film and TV projects (including animation), with a cap of €1 million per project; €1.8 million will support the making of documentary films and series (including animation) with a cap of €200,000 per project; and €200,000 will be granted towards the production of shorts (each project may receive up to €40,000).

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Beneficiaries commit to spend 150% of the received bursaries on the region’s territory and to finalise their projects within 18 months following the decree granting the benefits, with a maximum extension of three months available.

Nicola Tarantino, director of the Sicily Film Commission, said that the funding would “strengthen support for the development of [Sicily’s] supply chain and local audio-visual professions.”

Sicily’s official journal, Gazzetta Ufficiale della Regione Siciliana, stated that the funds would support productions that enhanced “local history, culture, landscape, traditions, food, wine and identity” with “positive economic and employment impact on Sicily.”

Applications will be open to EU production outfits which have been operational for at least two years and serving as producers, co-producers or associate producers. Those based outside the EU will require an executive production agreement with a company that is tax resident in the EU.

In 2022, there will be two application rounds available (from 1 June to 30 June, and from 1 September to 30 September).

Italy’s tax credit for international productions (40% of eligible costs – up to 49% of total budget – of which 80% has to be spent in the territory) may be combined with regional incentives.