Incentives generate CZK 9 billion in film business

Film incentives brought almost CZK 9 billion to the Czech Republic last year. Thanks to film incentives, nearly 80 films, and series were shot in the Czech Republic last year. Many of the projects were shows for online platforms such as Netflix or Amazon.

The so-called film incentives have been in the Czech Republic since 2010, giving them 20 percent of the cost. In European countries, this is often between 25 and 30 percent, while some countries return 40 percent of foreign investment. It has been talked for several years that American film crews, in particular, are leaving the previously used Czech services and traveling to countries with higher returns. However, the interest in the work of Czech filmmakers is still alive, revived by the boom of television series.

In July 2019, SFK was even forced to stop the registration of new projects because the annual allocation of CZK 800 million was not sufficient to cover the interest. The fund renewed it only after an increase in the state’s contribution by CZK 500 million, approved by the government in mid-November.

The most significant projects filmed in the Czech Republic in 2019 included the second season of Carnival Row for Amazon and the epic fantasy The Wheel of Time for Amazon and Sony. Filming of both series will continue this year. Netflix filmed a family film called A Boy Called Christmas, a fantasy series The Letter for the King, and a sci-fi drama Tribes of Europa. Netflix also shot Shadowplay, the second season of Das Boot, and the second season of the series Miracle Workers with the subtitle Dark Ages with Hollywood stars Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe.