Johan Hedman, head of TV at Swedish TV production outfit Tre Vänner whose latest productions include bestselling author Camilla Läckberg’s The Fjällbacka Murders, as well as Hans Rosenfeldt's and Michael Hjorth’s Sebastian Bergman, was on hand to share his experiences and opinions about what TV producers are looking for from regional and national funds when they choose where to shoot. Hedman said that despite the importance of tax incentives the most important thing was to find the right partner for an international coproduction. Marek Rozenbaum of Israeli production outfit Transfax which has worked extensively in central and eastern Europe also spoke about the importance of coproduction for Israel.
Dariusz Jablonski head of Apple Film presented a case study of Spies of Warsaw a TV coproduction between Apple Film, Polish pubcaster TVP and BBC. The series which was shot mostly in Poland was a huge hit internationally and discussions are underway to producer further series of programmes based on the popular Alan Furst spy thrillers set in central and eastern Europe.
Film funders presented funding opportunities at both regional and national level. Edith Sepp head of the Estonian Film Institute presented the new scheme for tax incentives that will be instituted in Estonia in 2016. Head of Production Irma Šimanskytė, Lithuanian Film Centre,presented the impressive results of the new Lithuanian tax incentives that were implemented in Lithuania in 2014 and their success in attracting new productions to Lithuania including the six part BBC TV series War and Peace which shot in Lithuania this year.
The event was organised by the Film New Europe Association together with Regiofun International Festival of Film Producers. REGIOFUN is the only event in Europe dedicated to films, which were made owing to the support of regional film funds and the help of various cities.
This is as part of a series of events organised by FNE Association aimed increasing audiences and the international visibility of films from the region by sharing successful models for projects that cross borders. FNE Association is the main networking platform bringing together the heads of film institutions in the central and eastern European region to decide issues of common AV policy and promote the reach of AV productions from the region beyond borders.
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