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03-08-2011

New Financing from Slovenia and Croatia in the Spotlight at Sarajevo's Regional Forum

By Pavlina Jeleva

    Additional funds in Slovania and Croatia's new tax incentives were the main topics discussed at the third Regional Forum which took place during the 17th Sarajevo IFF.

    The new director of the Slovenian Film Center Jožko Rutar (www.film-center.si) said a major change in Slovenia's public funding rules is that the "financial support is no longer considered as investment but as pure subsidy." He explained, "The producers are not obliged to reimburse 5% from the support any more." Rutar also added that in 2012 the Slovenian national film institution will administrate an additional amount dedicated to audiovisual projects. "There were discussions if we should keep one or two doors open for film and audiovisual supports, but finally the government decided to gather all public support under the same roof."

    Commenting the freshly voted tax incentive law in Croatia Sanja Ravlic from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (www.havc.hr) described it as the result of efficient film community lobbying since 2008 and its active participation in the preparation of the National Strategic Program. She underlined that the law puts under equal consideration foreign and national film productions and that the Croatian government has reserved the amount of €3 million for an initial two year program.

    According to the Cinelink Head of Project Amra Bakšić Čamo the priorities in the area of public support for film in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be more carefully chosen. "Our market is rather reduced and we should know what type of films we want to make. Anyway, I prefer we were more realistic," she said.

    The forum's ACE interview was with the new Chairwoman of the Turkish Movie Producers Association Seynep Ozbatur, awarded with the Prix Eurimages from the European Film Academy in 2010. Having produced the last three films of Nuri Bilge Ceilan she showed the audience her firm devotion to the promotion of film production in her country by actively training young newcomers.