Written by Kianna Best on Feb 20, 2023. Posted in General Interest

British Film Commission and Film in Austria sign memorandum of Understanding

On 19 February at the Austrian Film Hub at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, the British Film Commission (BFC) and the national film commission for Austria, Film in Austria, signed a memorandum of understanding, further strengthening the relationship between the respective countries’ screen industries. This signing enhances the collaboration between the UK and Austria through the facilitation of film and high end TV production between the two countries.

“The British film industry was and is a worldwide example of professionalism,” commented  Arie Bohrer, National Film Commissioner, Film in Austria. “I remember in the past, when US productions came to Austria – a large number of the crew were from the UK. Generations of Austrian filmmakers gained a lot of experience through the cooperation with the British crew. We hope that the new Austrian incentive will not only raise the number of big productions shooting in Austria but also create opportunities for future co-productions between Austria and the UK.”

Both territories have been thriving in their respective screen industries, with Austria’s most recent film and television production incentives introduced last month, as well as instating Europe’s first Green Bonus, and the UK’s flourishing performance with an inward production spend reaching GBP 5.37 billion in 2022.

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission, added: “It is an extremely exciting time for the global film and high-end TV industry. The UK continues to experience remarkable growth in production, generating billions of pounds for the UK economy and thousands of new jobs. Providing these opportunities for growth remains vital to the continued success of the industry globally. We are delighted to be building on our relationship with FILM in AUSTRIA through this new friendship agreement, having previously supported a number of titles filming in both territories from The Witcher to Spectre. We are committed to continuing our positive and fruitful work with our Austrian friends, forging even stronger relationships between our two countries to ensure a frictionless and film-friendly service for productions.”

Relationships between the two countries is nothing new, with both regions contributing to a slate of high profile productions including Netflix’s The Witcher, Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation, Spectre and Quantum of Solace. This newly signed memorandum will aim to continue those relations as well as go forward with a frictionless and film friendly service form the respective film commissions when it comes to support being provided in each country.

Image courtesy of The British Film Commission