A strong and predictable film incentive scheme represents significant business opportunities for Norway and enables Norwegian and international film and TV productions to plan long term and choose Norway again and again. These productions generate activity beyond the major cities and create positive ripple effects in local business communities across the entire country.
We need a sustainable, predictable, and internationally competitive scheme for Norway. The goal should be to level out the competitive disadvantage Norwegian production companies face compared with players in other countries, and to secure work for Norwegian film professionals.
A strengthened incentive scheme must come in addition to existing funding for Norwegian film through the Ministry of Culture — not at the expense of it. This is about growth, not redistribution of scarcity. Film is culture and film is industry. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Trade and Industry should jointly take responsibility for the incentive scheme and determine where it is best administered, in line with its character as an industry measure with documented economic effects.
We need a better scheme — now. We need:
Predictability: The incentive scheme must have a funding pool large enough to meet reimbursement needs, or be structured as a rules-based scheme. Only then can it provide the predictability necessary for Norwegian and international productions to rely on Norway as a filming destination.
Competitiveness: A sufficiently large funding pool or an automatic scheme without application deadlines would allow our scheme to compete with those of other European countries. We can retain Norwegian productions at home while also attracting major international productions.
Access for Norwegian projects: A predictable and automated scheme will ensure that Norwegian films and series can also be produced in Norway with reimbursement from the scheme. Today, due to the limited funding pool, Norwegian projects rarely qualify.
Greener production: Norwegian films and series are currently forced to shoot in other countries with incentive schemes. This is neither economically nor environmentally sustainable. Norway can offer more sustainable production conditions than most other countries.
The incentive scheme is not only socioeconomically profitable. Improving the film incentive scheme is responsible fiscal and industrial policy. It is about return on investment, competitiveness, and sustainable public revenues. It makes economic sense. It is a no-brainer.
We believe in no-brainers.
Don’t you?
WHEN FILM COMES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE
– a mini documentary about the incentive scheme and its ripple effects on local business communities.
This campaign is an initiative by DAGSLYS AS, led by Thor Erik Løkken. Concept and direction are by Jens Edgar Haugen.
The Norwegian Film Council (Dramatists’ Guild of Norway, Norwegian Film Workers Union, Norwegian Actors’ Equity Association, Norwegian Film Directors, Virke Producers Association, Norwegian Film Distributors’ Association, and Film & Kino), the Norwegian Society of Cinematographers, and several industry suppliers have all endorsed the message.
In other words, a broad and united film industry stands behind this initiative.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone contributing on a voluntary basis to make this possible.
