U.K. and Austria Strike Deal to Collaborate on Film, TV Projects (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran

The U.K.’s British Film Commission and Film in Austria, the national film commission for Austria, have struck a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paving the way for more film and high-end TV production between the two territories.

New film and TV production incentives were introduced in Austria last month, including Europe’s first “green” filming bonus. Meanwhile, in the U.K., statistics released in February revealed that investment into film and high-end television during 2022 reached a record height of £6.27 billion ($7.72 billion).

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Through the MoU, which will be signed in Berlin on Sunday, the BFC and Film in Austria say they seeks to “encourage greater cultural, commercial and creative exchange between the U.K. and Austria whilst actively working together to foster opportunities to support inward investment film and high-end TV production in both countries.”

Productions previously filmed across both jurisdictions include “The Witcher” (Netflix), “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” (Paramount), and James Bond films “Spectre” and “Quantum of Solace” (Eon/MGM).

The British Film Commission also has such agreements in place with Spain, Italy and Norway. Such ties are increasingly important for the U.K. given its divorce with the European Union, which officially came into effect, following a transition period, in January 2021.

The agreement will be signed at the Austrian Film Hub.

Arie Bohrer, national film commissioner for Austria, said: “The British film industry was and is a worldwide example of professionalism. I remember in the past, when U.S. productions came to Austria — a large number of the crew were from the U.K. 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 U.K.”

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission, added: “It is an extremely exciting time for the global film and high-end TV industry. The U.K. continues to experience remarkable growth in production, generating billions of pounds for the U.K. 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.”

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