22-01-2016

Lithuania to Increase Cooperation with the Baltics States

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    VILNIUS: One of the main goals of the Lithuanian Film Centre in 2016 is to increase cooperation with the Baltic states. The centre is also launching a new programme to support the distribution of domestic films in Lithuanian cinemas.

    „The Lithuanian Film Centre gave funding to ten coproductions with Latvia and Estonia in 2015. The amount of 234,000 EUR went to five Lithuanian/Estonian coproductions while four Lithuanian/Latvian coproductions received 314,000 EUR“, said Rolandas Kvietkauskas, the director of the Lithuanian Film Centre. The cooperation agreement between Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia was signed on 16 May 2015.

    In 2016 LFC will provide 2.66 m EUR support for film preproduction (development), production and distribution. The budget was 2,139,282 EUR in 2015.

    Bigger funding will be given in 2016 for the preproduction of films dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Lithuanian state and also to a new programme to support the distribution of domestic films in Lithuanian cinemas with 5,000 EUR each.

    The number of foreign productions coming to Lithuania is expected to grow. In 2015, seven foreign film companies used the tax incentives scheme and their cost of production in Lithuania amounted to nearly 12 m EUR.

    In 2015, the LFC issued 20 qualification certificates, confirming that that 2,668,506 EUR had been granted by private investors aiming to exploit the corporate tax exemption. This support provided by 17 profitable companies helped to implement 14 productions and coproductions.