In its annual presentation at the Karlovy Vary IFF on 8 July 2016, the Czech Audiovisual Producers’ Association (APA) said that members’ earnings in the various areas of Czech film production have shown growth for six years in a row. Earnings by APA members grew by 13 percent in 2015, to 6.76 billion CZK (284 m EUR), and have more than doubled since 2009, when earnings were at their nadir.
With increased film incentives and a rise in subsidies for domestic film production, earnings are on track to repeat the success of 2003, when total production reached 7.64 billion CZK.
International production is driving the largest increases. The Czech Republic saw a plunge in foreign productions coming to the country beginning in 2004, when film incentives were introduced in neighboring territories, notably Hungary. Film service companies warned the government of the fall-off in foreign business coming into the country, but it took nearly ten years before the government responded by offering Czech film incentives at a competitive level. In its written report, APA stated, “Czech producers’ profits are returning to their turn-of-the-century levels when our film industry was sufficiently competitive, even without incentives.”
International productions registered a total of 1,100 shooting days in the Czech Republic in 2015, for an average of 39 shooting days per project and average spend of 3.9 m CZK. International productions account for two/thirds of the total quantity, but 90 percent of the expenditures. Domestic film production accounts for the remainder.
International television productions were the biggest investors. The largest sum was spent by Lakeshore International for its project Underworld: Blood Wars, which spent 862 m CZK and received incentives of 126 m CZK. The other two largest spends were Crossing Lines III with a spend of 394 m CZK and incentives of 64.5 m CZK; and The Musketeers III with spend of 347 m CZK and incentives of 64 m CZK. The second season of the BBC series Musketeers with local production company Czech Anglo Productions received the highest incentives payout, 300 m CZK.
